Daily Readings

¹ And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.² And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.³ And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.⁴ And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.⁵ And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.⁶ And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?⁷ And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.⁸ And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.⁹ And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.¹⁰ And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.¹² And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.¹³ And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.¹⁴ And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.¹⁵ And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.¹⁶ But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.¹⁷ Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.¹⁸ And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.¹⁹ And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.²⁰ Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.²¹ Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.²² And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.²³ So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.²⁴ And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

¹ Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,² Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.³ Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.⁴ LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.⁵ The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.⁶ In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.⁷ The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.⁸ They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?⁹ My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.¹⁰ Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.¹¹ They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.¹² Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.¹³ Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.¹⁴ Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.¹⁵ And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.¹⁶ Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.¹⁷ Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.¹⁸ Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.¹⁹ The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.²⁰ They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.²¹ The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.²² Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.²³ Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.²⁴ Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.²⁵ He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.²⁶ She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.²⁷ At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.²⁸ The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?²⁹ Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,³⁰ Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?³¹ So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

¹ Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.² And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.³ And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.⁴ The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.⁵ The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.⁶ For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.⁷ The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.⁸ But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.⁹ Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.¹⁰ Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.¹¹ Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.¹² They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.¹³ Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:¹⁴ Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;¹⁵ Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.¹⁶ Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.¹⁷ And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.¹⁸ And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;¹⁹ When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.²⁰ Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

¹ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.² For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;³ And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:⁴ Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?⁵ Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?⁶ But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?⁷ Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?⁸ If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:⁹ But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.¹⁰ For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.¹¹ For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.¹² So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.¹³ For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.²⁵ Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.