Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Micah 6 (NIV)


Micah 6 (New International Version)

Micah 6

The LORD's Case Against Israel

1 Listen to what the LORD says: "Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 Hear, O mountains, the LORD's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.

3 "My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.

4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.

5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD."

6 With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Israel's Guilt and Punishment

9 Listen! The LORD is calling to the city— and to fear your name is wisdom— "Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. [a]
10 Am I still to forget, O wicked house, your ill-gotten treasures and the short ephah, [b] which is accursed?

11 Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights?

12 Her rich men are violent; her people are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully.

13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins.

14 You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. [c] You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword.

15 You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil on yourselves, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.

16 You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab's house, and you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations. [d] "
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Proverbs 28 (NIV)


Proverbs 28 (New International Version)

Proverbs 28

1 The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

3 A ruler [a] who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.

5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.

6 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

7 He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

8 He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.

10 He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

11 A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

14 Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.

16 A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.

17 A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death; let no one support him.

18 He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

19 He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

20 A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

21 To show partiality is not good— yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

22 A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

23 He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

24 He who robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong"— he is partner to him who destroys.

25 A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.
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Psalm 106 (NIV)


Psalm 106

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 106

1 Praise the Lord.[a]
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
    or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
    who always do what is right.
4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people,
    come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
    that I may share in the joy of your nation
    and join your inheritance in giving praise.
6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
    we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
    they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
    and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.[b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
    to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
    he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for,
    but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
    and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
    it buried the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed among their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf
    and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
    for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them,
    who had done great things in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham
    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
    to keep his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
    they did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents
    and did not obey the Lord.
26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
    and scatter them throughout the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
    and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the Lord’s anger by their wicked deeds,
    and a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
    for endless generations to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord,
    and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
    and rash words came from Moses’ lips.[c]
34 They did not destroy the peoples
    as the Lord had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations
    and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,
    which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
    and their daughters to false gods.
38 They shed innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    and the land was desecrated by their blood.
39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
    by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
40 Therefore the Lord was angry with his people
    and abhorred his inheritance.
41 He gave them into the hands of the nations,
    and their foes ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them
    and subjected them to their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
    but they were bent on rebellion
    and they wasted away in their sin.
44 Yet he took note of their distress
    when he heard their cry;
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
    and out of his great love he relented.
46 He caused all who held them captive
    to show them mercy.
47 Save us, Lord our God,
    and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 106:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 48
  2. Psalm 106:7 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verses 9 and 22
  3. Psalm 106:33 Or against his spirit, / and rash words came from his lips
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Monday, January 27, 2014

AFWIS Joins Operation World in prayer for the Trends to Watch in the Country of Asia

Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Home > Jan 27: Asia, Trends to Watch - Asia

Jan 27: Asia, Trends to Watch - Asia

Asia, Trends to Watch - Asia

Asia

World

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 31,829,200 sq km
Approximately 23.5% of the world’s surface area. Russia east of the Ural Mountains is geographically part of Asia, but here all of the Russian Federation is included with Europe. Included here are the Trans-Caucasus states (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) as well as the West Asian/Middle Eastern countries. Includes amazing geographic and ecological diversity – tropical rain forest, desert, alluvial plains, hills and the world’s highest
Population: 4,166,741,314    Annual Growth: 1.10%
Urbanites: 43%

Peoples

Peoples: 4,860 (0% unreached)
    Languages: 2,322

Religion

Largest Religion: Muslim
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians368,075,9848.832.3
Evangelicals146,854,0853.53.0
Muslim1,100,825,42826.42 

Answer to Prayer

Church growth in Asia continues to be remarkable; for its sheer scale, for its unprecedented occurrence in previously unevangelized nations and regions and, in many areas, for how long it has been sustained. Some of the greatest growth in the past decade or two has been in China, India, Nepal, Iran, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam and, although unverifiable, North Korea.
      All Christians have increased from 22 million (2.3%) in 1900 to nearly 370 million (8.8%) in 2010.
      Protestant, Independent and Anglican Christians increased from under 3 million (0.3%) in 1900 to nearly 200 million (4.9%) in 2010.
      Catholic growth was slower, but still significant - from 11.1 million (1.2%) to 142 million (3.4%) over the same period.
      Evangelicals in Asia, nearly 150 million, now number more than those on any other continent apart from Africa. It is also the continent with the second-fastest growing evangelical population; if measured only by conversion rate (and not including biological growth), Asia has the fastest growing evangelical population by a significant margin - 33% faster than any other region.
     For an additional 8 Answers to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Asia.

Trends to Watch - Asia

Asia

See Prayer Information

Challenge for Prayer

The supply of safe water, increasingly in demand but in ever-scarcer supply, is an international issue that will only become more hotly contested. Climate change will also have an unpredictable effect on water supply, dramatically affecting the most vulnerable areas; it will affect agriculture, sanitation and the health of millions. Preventable water-related issues cause a high proportion of child mortality. There are genuine possibilities of huge numbers of refugees and even war as a result of water scarcity. Greater tensions will most likely concern the Jordan River (Arabs and Israelis), the Tigris/Euphrates Rivers (Turkey, Syria, Iraq), the Amu Darya/Syr Daria/Aral Sea (Central Asia), the Indus/Ganges/Brahmaputra Rivers (South Asia) and the Mekong River (China and Southeast Asia).
     For an additional 11 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Trends to Watch - Asia.
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Pray for Our Schools


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Micah 5 (NIV)


Micah 5 (New International Version)

Micah 5

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

1 Marshal your troops, O city of troops, [a] for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod.
2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans [b] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins [c] are from of old, from ancient times. [d] "

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be their peace.




Deliverance and Destruction When the Assyrian invades our land and marches through our fortresses, we will raise against him seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men.
6 They will rule [e] the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. [f] He will deliver us from the Assyrian when he invades our land and marches into our borders.

7 The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.

8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue.

9 Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed.

10 "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots.

11 I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.

12 I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.

13 I will destroy your carved images and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.

14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles [g] and demolish your cities.

15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed me."
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Proverbs 27 (NIV)


Proverbs 27 (New International Version)

Proverbs 27

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.

3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.

4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

7 He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

10 Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

12 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.

14 If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.

15 A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day;

16 restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

18 He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.

19 As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.

20 Death and Destruction [a] are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.

22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him.

23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;

24 for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.

25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

26 the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.

27 You will have plenty of goats' milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls.
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    Psalm 105 (NIV)


    Psalm 105 (New International Version)

    Psalm 105

    1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

    2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

    3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

    4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

    5 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

    6 O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

    7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

    8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

    9 the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

    10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

    11 "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."

    12 When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,

    13 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.

    14 He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:

    15 "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."

    16 He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;

    17 and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave.

    18 They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,

    19 till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.

    20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.

    21 He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,

    22 to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

    23 Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

    24 The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,

    25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.

    26 He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

    27 They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

    28 He sent darkness and made the land dark— for had they not rebelled against his words?

    29 He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.

    30 Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

    31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.

    32 He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;

    33 he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.

    34 He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;

    35 they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.

    36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.

    37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.

    38 Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

    39 He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.

    40 They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

    41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.

    42 For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.

    43 He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

    44 he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-

    45 that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.
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    Sunday, January 26, 2014

    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Country of Asia's Hot Spots

    Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
    Home > Jan 26: Asia, Hot Spots of Asia

    Jan 26: Asia, Hot Spots of Asia

    Asia, Hot Spots of Asia

    Asia

    World

    See Prayer Information

    Geography

    Area: 31,829,200 sq km
    Approximately 23.5% of the world’s surface area. Russia east of the Ural Mountains is geographically part of Asia, but here all of the Russian Federation is included with Europe. Included here are the Trans-Caucasus states (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) as well as the West Asian/Middle Eastern countries. Includes amazing geographic and ecological diversity – tropical rain forest, desert, alluvial plains, hills and the world’s highest
    Population: 4,166,741,314    Annual Growth: 1.10%
    Urbanites: 43%

    Peoples

    Peoples: 4,860 (0% unreached)
        Languages: 2,322

    Religion

    Largest Religion: Muslim
    Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
    Christians368,075,9848.832.3
    Evangelicals146,854,0853.53.0
    Muslim1,100,825,42826.42 

    Answer to Prayer

    Increased stability in several areas that were previously volatile or at war. The lot of the Afghan people has seen notable improvement since 2001, as has that of the Kurds, especially in Iraq. Indonesia and Pakistan have stabilized somewhat, and China has managed its incredible growth without provoking further tension or conflict with its neighbours.
         For an additional 8 Answers to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

    More Information

    The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Asia.

    Hot Spots of Asia

    Asia

    See Prayer Information

    Challenge for Prayer

    China’s re-emergence as a global superpower is possibly the major global political and economic factor in the first decades of the 21st Century. China is growing more assertive in international diplomacy and political engagement. The pragmatic marriage of centralized state control with an increasingly capitalist economy has achieved stupendous financial growth. But such growth, fuelled by massive consumption of resources, cannot be sustained indefinitely; what happens when the bubble bursts will have a global impact. The major demographic shift to an aged population (as a result of the one-child policy) will place great burdens on those of working age. The huge gender gap – in many areas, a shortfall of 20-30% from equal gender balance – has further serious implications for long-term societal stability. The quasi-colonization by ethnic Han of China’s hinterlands (Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan) and accelerating immigration to under-populated and under-developed Russian Siberia are all potentially calamitous to the indigenous populations.
         For an additional 8 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

    More Information

    The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Hot Spots of Asia.
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    Micah 4 Holy Bible (King James)


    Micah 4


    1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
    2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
    3 ¶And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
    4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
    5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
    6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
    7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
    8 ¶And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
    9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
    10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
    11 ¶Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
    12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
    13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

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    Proverbs 26 (NIV)


    Proverbs 26 (New International Version)

    Proverbs 26

    1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

    2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

    3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!

    4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

    5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

    6 Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

    7 Like a lame man's legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

    8 Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

    9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

    10 Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.

    11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

    12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

    13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"

    14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

    15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

    16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

    17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

    18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows

    19 is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

    20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

    21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

    22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

    23 Like a coating of glaze [a] over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

    24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.

    25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

    26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

    27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.

    28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
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    Psalm 104 (NIV)


    Psalm 104

    New International Version (NIV)

    Psalm 104

    1 Praise the Lord, my soul.
    Lord my God, you are very great;
        you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
    2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
        he stretches out the heavens like a tent
    3     and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
    He makes the clouds his chariot
        and rides on the wings of the wind.
    4 He makes winds his messengers,[a]
        flames of fire his servants.
    5 He set the earth on its foundations;
        it can never be moved.
    6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
        the waters stood above the mountains.
    7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
        at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
    8 they flowed over the mountains,
        they went down into the valleys,
        to the place you assigned for them.
    9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
        never again will they cover the earth.
    10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
        it flows between the mountains.
    11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
        the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
    12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
        they sing among the branches.
    13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
        the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
    14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
        and plants for people to cultivate—
        bringing forth food from the earth:
    15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
        oil to make their faces shine,
        and bread that sustains their hearts.
    16 The trees of the Lord are well watered,
        the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
    17 There the birds make their nests;
        the stork has its home in the junipers.
    18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
        the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
    19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
        and the sun knows when to go down.
    20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
        and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
    21 The lions roar for their prey
        and seek their food from God.
    22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
        they return and lie down in their dens.
    23 Then people go out to their work,
        to their labor until evening.
    24 How many are your works, Lord!
        In wisdom you made them all;
        the earth is full of your creatures.
    25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
        teeming with creatures beyond number—
        living things both large and small.
    26 There the ships go to and fro,
        and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
    27 All creatures look to you
        to give them their food at the proper time.
    28 When you give it to them,
        they gather it up;
    when you open your hand,
        they are satisfied with good things.
    29 When you hide your face,
        they are terrified;
    when you take away their breath,
        they die and return to the dust.
    30 When you send your Spirit,
        they are created,
        and you renew the face of the ground.
    31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
        may the Lord rejoice in his works—
    32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
        who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
    33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
        I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
    34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
        as I rejoice in the Lord.
    35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
        and the wicked be no more.
    Praise the Lord, my soul.
    Praise the Lord.[b]

    Footnotes:

    1. Psalm 104:4 Or angels
    2. Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; in the Septuagint this line stands at the beginning of Psalm 105.
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