25th November

¹ On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;² Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.³ Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.⁴ And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:⁵ And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.⁶ But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:⁷ And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.⁸ And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff to Tobiah out of the chamber.⁹ Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.¹⁰ And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.¹¹ Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.¹² Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.¹³ And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.¹⁴ Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.¹⁵ In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.¹⁶ There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.¹⁷ Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?¹⁸ Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.¹⁹ And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.²⁰ So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.²¹ Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.²² And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.²³ In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:²⁴ And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.²⁵ And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.²⁶ Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.²⁷ Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?²⁸ And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.²⁹ Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.³⁰ Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;³¹ And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

¹ Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.² The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.³ For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.⁴ For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:⁵ But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.⁶ Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.⁷ Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,⁸ Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:⁹ That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.¹⁰ They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.¹¹ Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.¹² For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.¹³ Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.¹⁴ Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.¹⁵ Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.¹⁶ Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.¹⁷ And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.¹⁸ Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.¹⁹ As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.²⁰ Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?²¹ I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.²² Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.²³ Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.²⁴ But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.²⁵ Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?²⁶ But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.²⁷ Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

¹ Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.² And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.³ Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.⁴ No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.⁵ And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.⁶ The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.⁷ Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.⁸ Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:⁹ Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.¹⁰ Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.¹¹ It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:¹² If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:¹³ If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.¹⁴ Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.¹⁶ But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.¹⁷ And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;¹⁸ Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.¹⁹ Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.²⁰ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.²¹ If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.²² Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.²³ But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.²⁴ And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,²⁵ In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;²⁶ And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.