the Third Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
June 16 - Old & New Testament
niv
Proverbs 16,17,18
1 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the
Lord
comes the proper answer of the tongue.(a)
2 All a person's ways seem pure to them,(b)
but motives are weighed(c) by the
Lord
.(d)
3 Commit to the
Lord
whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.(e)
4 The
Lord
works out everything to its proper end(f)—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.(g)
5 The
Lord
detests all the proud of heart.(h)
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.(i)
6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the
Lord
(j) evil is avoided.(k)
7 When the
Lord
takes pleasure in anyone's way,
he causes their enemies to make peace(l) with them.(m)
8 Better a little with righteousness
than much gain(n) with injustice.(o)
9 In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the
Lord
establishes their steps.(p)
10 The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth does not betray justice.(q)
11 Honest scales and balances belong to the
Lord
;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.(r)
12 Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness.(s)
13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value the one who speaks what is right.(t)
14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death,(u)
but the wise will appease it.(v)
15 When a king's face brightens, it means life;(w)
his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.(x)
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to get insight(y) rather than silver!(z)
17 The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their ways preserve their lives.(aa)
18 Pride(ab) goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit(ac) before a fall.(ad)
19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.
20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,[a](ae)
and blessed is the one who trusts in the
Lord
.(af)
21 The wise in heart are called discerning,
and gracious words promote instruction.[b](ag)
22 Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,(ah)
but folly brings punishment to fools.
23 The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,(ai)
and their lips promote instruction.[c](aj)
24 Gracious words are a honeycomb,(ak)
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.(al)
25 There is a way that appears to be right,(am)
but in the end it leads to death.(an)
26 The appetite of laborers works for them;
their hunger drives them on.
27 A scoundrel(ao) plots evil,
and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.(ap)
28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,(aq)
and a gossip separates close friends.(ar)
29 A violent person entices their neighbor
and leads them down a path that is not good.(as)
30 Whoever winks(at) with their eye is plotting perversity;
whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.
31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor;(au)
it is attained in the way of righteousness.
32 Better a patient person than a warrior,
one with self-control than one who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast(av) into the lap,
but its every decision(aw) is from the
Lord
.(ax)
1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.(a)
2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,(b)
but the
Lord
tests the heart.(c)
4 A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor(d) shows contempt for their Maker;(e)
whoever gloats over disaster(f) will not go unpunished.(g)
6 Children's children(h) are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!(i)
8 A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
they think success will come at every turn.(j)
9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(k)
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(l)
10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person
more than a hundred lashes a fool.
11 Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
the messenger of death will be sent against them.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool bent on folly.(m)
13 Evil will never leave the house
of one who pays back evil(n) for good.(o)
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.(p)
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent(q)—
the
Lord
detests them both.(r)
16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
when they are not able to understand it?(s)
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(t)
18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
and puts up security for a neighbor.(u)
19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.(v)
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed(w) spirit dries up the bones.(x)
23 The wicked accept bribes(y) in secret
to pervert the course of justice.(z)
24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool's eyes(aa) wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(ab)
26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(ac)
surely to flog honest officials is not right.
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,(ad)
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.(ae)
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.(af)
1 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.(a)
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4 The words of the mouth are deep waters,(b)
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked(c)
and so deprive the innocent of justice.(d)
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.(e)
7 The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare(f) to their very lives.(g)
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.(h)
9 One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.(i)
10 The name of the
Lord
is a fortified tower;(j)
the righteous run to it and are safe.(k)
11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;(l)
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.(m)
13 To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.(n)
14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?(o)
15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,(p)
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16 A gift(q) opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18 Casting the lot settles disputes(r)
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19 A brother wronged(s) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person's stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.(t)
21 The tongue has the power of life and death,(u)
and those who love it will eat its fruit.(v)
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good(w)
and receives favor from the
Lord
.(x)
23 The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(y)
Acts 2:22-47
Chapter 2
22 "Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth(x) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,(y) which God did among you through him,(z) as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge;(aa) and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.(ab) 24 But God raised him from the dead,(ac) freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.(ad) 25 David said about him:
"‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.(ae)
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.'[e](af)
29 "Fellow Israelites,(ag) I can tell you confidently that the patriarch(ah) David died and was buried,(ai) and his tomb is here(aj) to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.(ak) 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.(al) 32 God has raised this Jesus to life,(am) and we are all witnesses(an) of it. 33 Exalted(ao) to the right hand of God,(ap) he has received from the Father(aq) the promised Holy Spirit(ar) and has poured out(as) what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
"‘The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet."'[f](at)
36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord(au) and Messiah."(av)
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"(aw)
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized,(ax) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.(ay) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(az) 39 The promise is for you and your children(ba) and for all who are far off(bb)—for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."(bc) 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number(bd) that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching(be) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread(bf) and to prayer.(bg) 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.(bh) 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.(bi) 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.(bj) 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.(bk) They broke bread(bl) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.(bm) And the Lord added to their number(bn) daily those who were being saved.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
