Job 28:1-28
"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold to be refined. Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. Miners put an end to darkness, and search out to the farthest bound the ore in gloom and deep darkness. They open shafts in a valley away from human habitation; they are forgotten by travelers, they sway suspended, remote from people. As for the earth, out of it comes bread; but underneath it is turned up as by fire. Its stones are the place of sapphires, and its dust contains gold. "That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it. The proud wild animals have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it. "They put their hand to the flinty rock, and overturn mountains by the roots. They cut out channels in the rocks, and their eyes see every precious thing. The sources of the rivers they probe; hidden things they bring to light. "But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Mortals do not know the way to it, and it is not found in the land of the living. The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.' It cannot be gotten for gold, and silver cannot be weighed out as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls. The chrysolite of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. "Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air. Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.' "God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens. When he gave to the wind its weight, and apportioned out the waters by measure; when he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the thunderbolt; then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out. And he said to humankind, 'Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'"
Acts 16:25-40
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God. When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, "The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace." But Paul replied, "They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves." The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. After leaving the prison they went to Lydia's home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.
John 12:27-36
"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-- 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" Jesus said to them, "The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light." After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 70 Deus, in adjutorium
1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me.
2 Let those who seek my life be ashamed and altogether dismayed; let those who take pleasure in my misfortune draw back and be disgraced.
3 Let those who say to me "Aha!" and gloat over me turn back, because they are ashamed.
4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; let those who love your salvation say for ever, "Great is the LORD!"
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; come to me speedily, O God.
6 You are my helper and my deliverer; O LORD, do not tarry.
Psalm 71 In te, Domine, speravi
1 In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge; let me never be ashamed.
2 In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe; you are my crag and my stronghold.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
5 For you are my hope, O LORD God, my confidence since I was young.
6 I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother's womb you have been my strength; my praise shall be always of you.
7 I have become a portent to many; but you are my refuge and my strength.
8 Let my mouth be full of your praise and your glory all the day long.
9 Do not cast me off in my old age; forsake me not when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies are talking against me, and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together.
11 They say, "God has forsaken him; go after him and seize him; because there is none who will save."
12 O God, be not far from me; come quickly to help me, O my God.
13 Let those who set themselves against me be put to shame and be disgraced; let those who seek to do me evil be covered with scorn and reproach.
14 But I shall always wait in patience, and shall praise you more and more.
15 My mouth shall recount your mighty acts and saving deeds all day long; though I cannot know the number of them.
16 I will begin with the mighty works of the Lord GOD; I will recall your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, you have taught me since I was young, and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.
18 And now that I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, till I make known your strength to this generation and your power to all who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens; you have done great things; who is like you, O God?
20 You have showed me great troubles and adversities, but you will restore my life and bring me up again from the deep places of the earth.
21 You strengthen me more and more; you enfold and comfort me,
22 Therefore I will praise you upon the lyre for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will sing with joy when I play to you, and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.
24 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long, for they are ashamed and disgraced who sought to do me harm.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 74 Ut quid, Deus?
1 O God, why have you utterly cast us off? why is your wrath so hot against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your congregation that you purchased long ago, the tribe you redeemed to be your inheritance, and Mount Zion where you dwell.
3 Turn your steps toward the endless ruins; the enemy has laid waste everything in your sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries roared in your holy place; they set up their banners as tokens of victory.
5 They were like men coming up with axes to a grove of trees; they broke down all your carved work with hatchets and hammers.
6 They set fire to your holy place; they defiled the dwelling-place of your Name and razed it to the ground.
7 They said to themselves, "Let us destroy them altogether." They burned down all the meeting-places of God in the land.
8 There are no signs for us to see; there is no prophet left; there is not one among us who knows how long.
9 How long, O God, will the adversary scoff? will the enemy blaspheme your Name for ever?
10 Why do you draw back your hand? why is your right hand hidden in your bosom?
11 Yet God is my King from ancient times, victorious in the midst of the earth.
12 You divided the sea by your might and shattered the heads of the dragons upon the waters;
13 You crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him to the people of the desert for food.
14 You split open spring and torrent; you dried up ever-flowing rivers.
15 Yours is the day, yours also the night; you established the moon and the sun.
16 You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
17 Remember, O LORD, how the enemy scoffed, how a foolish people despised your Name.
18 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; never forget the lives of your poor.
19 Look upon your covenant; the dark places of the earth are haunts of violence.
20 Let not the oppressed turn away ashamed; let the poor and needy praise your Name.
21 Arise, O God, maintain your cause; remember how fools revile you all day long.
22 Forget not the clamor of your adversaries, the unending tumult of those who rise up against you.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.
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