S.( R ok mictions ( -° r Daily Reading • >tf 01S Ta 1L UK w. WM^Wj^Pais^Ai^ m V '^ ^5 *Mh^- , Scripture Selections FOR DAILY READING A PORTION OF THE BIBLE FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR I SI COMPILED BY .ED REV. JESSE L. HURLBUT, D.D. AUTHOR OF Outline Normal Lessons, Studies in the Four Gospels, Studies in Old Testament History, A Manual of Biblical Geography, etc. __^_ v9 NEW YORK; HUNT <5r> EATON . CINCINNATI: CRANSTON &° STOWE 1891 Copyright, 1890, by New York. PREFACE. Every disciple of Jesus Christ should read at least a few verses from the word of God each day, and every Christian household should have its daily service of worship, with the reading of the Scriptures and prayer. But though all parts of the Bible are valuable, and even its dryest genealogical tables have their uses to the student of history, yet all portions are not equally profitable for devotional purposes, nor adapted to read- ing in the family. Some selection therefore must be made, and all persons are not qualified to make it for themselves. It has seemed to me that there is need of a good selection of Scripture passages, of nearly uniform length, fitted for reading at family worship, so chosen as to furnish a reading for every day in the year and to complete the Bible in a year ; so arranged that the se- lection for any day can be found readily ; printed in clear and legible type and of a form and size conven- ient for use. To meet such needs this volume has been compiled. In the selection of passages the endeavor has been to follow the general current of history in the Bible, choosing mainly such passages as have some plain spir- itual purpose ; interspersing psalms with historical por- iv PREFACE. tions, and placing the selections from the prophets and the epistles nearly where they belong in the historical order. In order to obtain just a sufficient number and no more, and at the same time to present extracts from the widest variety of books, many precious passages have been necessarily omitted. Perhaps no two readers of the Bible would agree precisely upon the same selection. It is the prayer of the compiler that this little work may help to a better understanding, a deeper interest, and a richer enjoyment m the Word of Life. Jesse L. Huklbut. New York, September 9, 1890. CONTENTS. JANUARY. page 1. The Creation of the World. Gen. i, 1-1 3 1 2. Praise ye the Lord. Psa. cxlviii 2 3. The Creation of Man. Gen. i, 20-31 3 4. The Fall of Man. Gen. iii, 1-15 4 5. The Death of Abel. Gen. iv, 3-15 6 6. The Heavens Declare. Psa. xix 7 7. The Flood Foretold. Gen. vi, 5-22 8 8. Going Out of the Ark. Gen. viii, 6-22 10 9. God's Covenant with Noah. Gen. ix, 8-19 12 1 0. Make a Joyful Noise. Psa.. c 13 11. The Call of Abram. Gen. xii, 1-10 13 12. God's Promise to Abram. Gen. xiii, 7-18 14 13. The Blessing of Melchizedek. Gen. xiv, 14-24 15 14. The Lord is My Light. Psa. xxvii 17 15. God's Covenant with Abram. Gen. xv, 5-18 18 16. Abraham's Prayer for Sodom. Gen. xviii, 22-33 19 17. The Trial of Abraham's Faith. Gen. xxii, 1-13 20 18. O Come, let us Sing. Psa. xcv, 1-11 22 19. God's Blessing upon Isaac. Gen. xxvi, 19-29 22 20. Jacob's Vision. Gen. xxviii, 10-22 23 21. Jacob's "Wrestling. Gen. xxxii, 24-32 25 22. Give Unto the Lord. Psa. xxix, 1-11 26 23. The Dreams of Joseph. Gen. xxxvii, 3-14 26 24. The Selling of Joseph. Gen. xxxvii, 23-36 28 25. Joseph Called out of Prison. Gen. xli, 14-32 29 26. Joseph Ruler of Egypt. Gen. xli, 38-48 30 27. Judah and Benjamin. Gen. xliv, 1 8-34 32 28. Joseph made Known. Gen. xlv, 1-14 33 29. Jacob's Journey to Egypt. Gen. xlv, 24-xlvi, 7 34 30. Jacob Blessing Joseph's Sons. Gen. xhiii, 8-20 36 31. The Old Age of Joseph. Gen. 1, 14-26 37 FEBRUARY. 1. The Word Made Flesh. John i, 1-14 39 2. The Vision of Zacharias. Luke i, 5-17 40 3. The Annunciation to Mary. Luke i, 26-33 41 vi CONTENTS. PAGE 4. The Song of Mary. Luke i, 46-56 . 41 5. The Song of Zacharias. Luke i, 67-80 42 6. The Birth of Jesus. Luke ii, 8-20 43 7. The Blessing of Simeon. Luke ii, 25-38 44 8. The Visit of the Wise Men. Matt, ii, 1-12 46 9. The Flight into Egypt. Matt. ii,. 13-23. 47 10. Why do the Heathen Rage ? Psa. ii, 1-12 48 11. The Childhood of Jesus. Luke ii, 40-52 49 12. The Preaching of John the Baptist. Luke iii, 1-14 50 13. John's Witness to Jesus. John i, 15-28 .'. 51 14. The Baptism of Jesus. Matt, iii, 13-17. ...» 52 15. The Temptation of Jesus. Matt, iv, 1-11 , 53 16. The Lord Said unto My Lord. Psa. ex, 1-7 54 17. Behold the Lamb. John i, 29-34 54 18. The Earliest Followers. John i, 35-51 55 19. The First Miracle. John ii, 1-11 57 20. Cleansing the Temple. John ii, 13-25 58 21. Jesus and Nicodemus. John iii, 1-1 2 59 22. Jesus the Saviour. John iii, 13-21 60 23. I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes. Psa. exxi, 1-8 61 24. The Bridegroom's Friend. Jobn iii, 25-36 61 25. Jesus at Jacob's Well. John iv, 1-14 62 26. The Samaritan Woman. John iv, 19-30 63 27. The Harvest and the Reapers. John iv, 31-38 64 28. The Nobleman's Son. John iv, 46-54 65 29. I Will Praise Thee. (For Leap-year.) Psa. exxxvii, 1-8 66 MARCH. 1. The Childhood of Moses. Exod. ii, 1-10 67 2. The Call of Moses. Exod. iii, 1-12 ...... 68 3. The Passover. Exod. xii, 21-31 69 4. Crossing the Red Sea. Exod. xiv, 1 9-31 70 5. The Song of Moses. Exod. xv, 1-13 72 6. Marah and Elim. Exod. xv, 20-27 73 7. Lord, Thou hast Been Our Dwelling-place. Psa. xc 74 8. The Manna. Exod. xvi, 1 3-23 75 9. The Rock in Horeb. Exod. xvii, 1-13 76 10. The Glory of the Lord. Exod. xix, 16-25 78 11. The Ten Commandments. Exod. xx, 1-17 79 12. God's Covenant with Israel. Exod. xxiv, 1-12 80 13. The Golden Calf. Exod. xxxii, 7-29 82 14. Moses's Prayer for Israel. Exod. xxxii, 26-35 83 15. God's Presence Promised. Exod. xxxiii, 11-19 84 16. The Strange Fire. Lev. x, 1-11 85 CONTENTS. vii PAGE 17. The Report of the Spies. Num. xiii, 21-33 86 18. The Murmcring of the People. Num. xiv, 1-10 88 1 9. The Water in Kadesh. Num. xx, 1-12 89 20. The Brazen Serpent. Num. xxi, 1-9 90 21. Preserve Me, God. Psa. xvi 91 22. The Blessing of Balaam. Num. xxiii, 1-12 92 23. The Prophecy of Balaam. Num. xxiv, 10-19 93 24. Teaching the Law. Deut. vi, 1-9 94 25. God's People. Deut. vii, 6-13 95 26. Remembering the Lord. Deut.-viii, 6-18 96 27. Kindness to the Poor. Deut. xxiv, 14-22 98 28. The Commandment of the Lord. Deut. xxx, 11-20 99 29. The Song of Moses. Deut. xxxii, 1-12 100 30. The Death of Moses. Deut. xxxiv s 101 31. He that Dvvelleth. Psn. xci 102 Easter Day. Mark xvi, 9-20 103 APRIL. 1. The Rejection at Nazareth. Luke iv, 14-31 105 2. Four Disciples Called. Luke v, 1-1 1 106 3. Miracles at Capernaum. Mark i, 21-34 107 4. The Tour in Eastern Galilee. Mark i, 35-45 109 5. The Paralytic Healed. Mark ii, 1-12 110 6. The Miracle at Bethesda. John v, 1-15 Ill 7. The Son and the Father. John v, 19-30 112 8. The Lord of the Sabbath. Matt, xii, 1-8 113 9. The Withered Hand. Mark iii, 1-14 114 10. The Beatitudes. Matt, v, 1-12 115 11. Disciples and the World. Matt, v, 13-20 116 12. Love to Enemies. Matt, v, 38-48 117 13. How to Pray. Matt, vi, 1-15 118 14. Worldly Cares. Matt, vi, 19-34 119 15. Judging Others. Matt, vii, 1-12 120 16. The False and the True. Matt, vii, 13-27 121 17. The Centurion's Servant. Luke vii, 1-10 123 1 8. The Widow of Nain. Luke vii, 11-17 # 1 24 1 9. Rebuke and Invitation. Matt, xi, 20-30 1 24 20. Washing the Saviour's Feet. Luke vii, 36-50 125 21. Christ's Foes and His Friends. Mark iii, 20-30 127 22. The Parable of the Sower. Matt, xiii, 1-9 128 23. The Parable Interpreted. Matt, xiii, 10-23 128 24. The Wheat and the Tares. Matt, xiii, 24-30, 36-43 1 30 25. The Tempest Stilled. Matt, viii, 19-27 131 26. The Daughter of Jairus. Mark v, 22-43 132 viii CONTENTS. PAGE 27. The Charge to the Twelve. Matt, x, 5-20 134 28. Feeding the Five Thousand. John vi, 1-14 135 29. Walking on the Sea. Mark vi, 45-56 136 30. The Bread of Life. John vi, 25-37. 137 MAT. 1. God's Call to Joshua. Josh, i, 1-9 139 2. Crossing the Jordan. Josh, iii, 5-1 7 140 3. The Memorial Stones. Josh, iv, 4-14 141 4. I Love the Lord. Psa. cxvi. 143 5. The Captain of the Lord's Host. Josh, v, 10-vi, 5. 144 6. The Fall of Jericho. Josh, vi, 15-27 145 7. The Trespass of Achan. Josh, vii, 1-12 147 8. The Punishment of Achan. Josh, vii, 16-26 148 9. Praise Ye the Lord. Psa. cxii. 149 10. Reading the Law. Josh, viii, 30-35 150 11. Caleb's Inheritance. Josh, xiv, 6-14 151 12. The Altar of Witness. Josh, xxii, 1-10 152 13. Joshua's Covenant. Josh, xxiv, 14-25 154 14. We Have Heard. Psa. xliv, 1-8 155 15. Israel Forsaking God. Judg. ii, 6-16 156 16. The Call of Gideon. Judg. vi, 7-16 . . . v . 157 1 7. Gidoen's Test. Judg. vi, 34-40 k 158 18. Gideon's Army. Judg. vii, 9-22 159 19. Truly My Soul Waiteth. Psa. lxii 160 20. The Death of Samson. Judg. xvi, 21-31 1 61 21. Naomi and Ruth. Ruth i, 14-22 163 22. Ruth in the Field. Ruth ii, 1-12 . . . 1 64 23. Hannah's Prayer. 1 Sam. i, 9-17 1 65 24. The Child Samuel. 1 Sam. i, 20-28 166 25. God's Call to Samuel. 1 Sam. iii, 1-18 167 26. The Death of Eli. 1 Sam. iv, 4-18 169 27.1 Said, I will Take Heed. Psa. xxxix 170 28. Samuel the Judge. 1 Sam. vii, 2-13 171 29. Asking for a King. 1 Sara, viii, 4-20 173 30. Samuel Anointing Saul. 1 Sam. ix, 15-x, 1 174 31. Samuel's Farewell Words. 1 Sam. xii, 1-15 176 JUNE. 1. The Canaanite Woman. Mark vii, 24-30 178 2. The Miracle in Decapolis. Mark vii, 31-37 178 3. Feeding the Four Thousand. Mark viii, 1-10 179 4. Peter's Confession. Matt, xvi, 13-26 180 5. The Transfiguration. Matt, xvii, 1-13 181 CONTENTS. IX PAGE 6. The Child in the Midst. Matt, xviii, 1-10 182 7. The Unmerciful Servant. Matt, xviii, 21-35 183 8. The Ten Lepers. Luke xvi'i, 11-19 185 9. Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles. John vii, 1-17 185 10. The Water of Life. John vii, 37-52 1 86 11. Freedom and Bondage. John viii, 31-42 188 12. The Blind Man Healed. John ix, 1-11 189 13. The Healed Man's Confession. John ix, 24-38 190 1 4. The Good Shepherd. John x, 1-16 191 15. Lazarus Raised from the Dead. John xi, 32-44. 192 16. The Good Samaritan. Luke x, 25-37 193 17. Confession of Christ. Luke xii, 1-9 194 18. Warning Against Covetousness. Luke xii, 13-21 195 19. The Great Supper. Luke xiv, 15-24 196 20. Counting the Cost. Luke xiv, 25-35 197 21. Lost and Found. Luke xv, 1-10 198 22. The Prodigal Son. Luke xv, 11-24 199 23. The Rich Man and Lazarus. Luke xvi, 19-31 < 200 24. Parables Concerning Prayer. Luke xviii, 1-14 201 25. Jesus and the Young. Luke xviii, 15-30 202 26. The Laborers in the Vineyard. Matt, xx, 1-16 204 27. The Ambitious Disciples. Malt, xx, 17-28 205 28. Blind Bartimeus. Mark x, 46-52 206 29. Zaccheus the Publican. Luke xix, 1-10 207 30. Parable of the Pounds. Luke xix, 11-28 208 JULY. 1. Saul Rejected. 1 Sam. xv, 10-23 210 2. David Anointed. 1 Sam. xvi, 1-13 211 3. The Lord is My Shepherd. Psa. xxiii. 213 4. God Be Merciful unto Us. Psa. lxvii 213 5. David and Goliath. 1 Sam. xvii, 38-51 214 6. Saul, Jonathan, and David. 1 Sam. xviii, 1-12 215 7. I Will Bless the Lord. Psa. xxxiv 217 8. David Sparing Saul. 1 Sam. xxiv, 2-16 218 9. David King over All Israel. 2 Sam. v, 1-12 , 220 10. The Ark Brought to Zion. 2 Sam. vi, 1-12 221 11. The Earth is the Lord's. Psa. xxiv 222 12. David's Purpose to Build the Temple. 2 Sam. vii, 1-11. 223 13. David's Thanksgiving Prayer. 2 Sam. vii, 18-29 224 14. Have Mercy upon Me. Psa. li 226 15. Blessed is He. Psa. xxxii 227 16. David's Grief for Absalom. 2 Sam. xviii, 19-33 228 17. David's Charge to Solomon. 1 Chron. xxviii, 1-10 230 CONTENTS. PAGE 18. Solomon's Choice. 1 Kings iii, 5-15 231 1 9. Building the Temple. 1 Kings vi, 1-14 232 20. The Dedication of the Temple. 1 Kings viii, 1-13 234 21. Solomon's Prayer. 1 Kings viii, 22-30 235 22. Solomon Blessing the People. 1 Kings viii, 54-63 236 23. God's Promise and Warning to Solomon. 1 Kings ix, 1-9 237 24. The Yisit of the Queen: of Sheba. 1 Kings x, 1-13 239 25. Give the King thy Judgments. Psa. lxxii 240 26. The Way of Wisdom. Prov. i, 7-19 242 27. The Prosperity of Wisdom. Prov. iii, 1-10 242 28. The Yalue of Wisdom. Prov. iii, 11-22 243 29. The Two Paths. Prov. iv, 7-18 244 30. Intemperance. Prov. xxiii, 29-35 245 31. The Whole Duty of Man. Eccl. xii 245 AUGUST. 1 . The Anointing by Mary. John xii, 1-8 248 2. The Triumphal Entry. Matt, xxi, 1-11 248 3. The Barren Fig-tree. Mark xi. 12-24 249 4. The Wicked Husbandmen. Mark xii, 1-12 251 5. The.Great Commandment. Mark xii, 28-37 252 6. The Last Teachings in the Temple. Matt, xxiii, 1-1 2.. 253 7. Tribulations Foretold. Mark xiii, 1-13 , 254 8. The Command to Watch. Mark xiii, 28-37 255 9. The Ten Yirgins. Matt, xxv, 1-13 256 1 0. The Last Judgment. Matt, xxv, 31-46 257 11. The Last Supper. Mark xiv, 12-25 258 12. Washing the Disciples' Feet. John xiii, 1-15 , . . 259 13. The Many Mansions. John xiv, 1-13 260 14. The Yine and the Branches. John xv, 1-15 262 15. The Promise of the Comforter. John xvi, 1-13 263 16. The Prayer of Christ. John xvii, 1-11 264 17. The Agony in the Garden. Matt, xxvi, 36-46 265 18. The Betrayal. John xviii, 1-13 266 19. Jesus Before the High-priest. Matt, xxvi, 58-66 267 20. Jesus Before Pilate. John xviii, 28-40 268 21. Jesus Before Herod. Luke xxiii, 4-1 2 269 22. Jesus Crucified. Matt, xxvii, 24-35 270 23. The Death on the Cross. John xix, 19-30 271 24. The Burial. Matt, xxvii, 51-61 272 25. The Resurrection. Matt, xxviii, 1-8 273 26. Jesus and Mary Magdalene. John xx, 1 1-18 274 27. On the Way to Emmaus. Luke xxiv, 13-32 275 .28. The Risen Christ and the Disciples. Luke xxiv, 33-44 277 CONTENTS. XI PAGE 29. The Risen Christ and Thomas. John xx, 24-31 278 30. At the Sea op Galilee. John xxi, 4-17 278 31. The Ascension. Luke xxiv, 44-53 280 SEPTEMBER. 1. The Kingdom Divided. 1 Kings xii, 1-17 281 2. Jeroboam's Kingdom. 1 Kings xii, 20-30 283 3. Elijah the Prophet. 1 Kings xvii, 1-16 284 4. The Widow's Son Restored. 1 Kings xvii, 17-24 285 5. Elijah and Obadiah. 1 Kings xviii, 1-16 286 6. The Meeting on Mount Carmel. 1 Kings xviii, 17-29 288 7. Elijah's Prayer Answered. 1 Kings xviii, 30-39 289 8. The Rain. 1 Kings xviii, 40-46 290 9. Elijah's Flight. 1 Kings xix, 1-8 291 10. God's Command to Elijah. 1 Kings xix, 9-21 292 11. Naboth's Yineyard. 1 Kings xxi, 4-20 294 12. The Translation of Elijah. 2 Kings ii, 1-12 296 13. Elijah's Successor, Elisha. 2 Kings ii, 13-25 297 14. The Oil Increased. 2 Kings iv, 1-7 299 15. The Woman op Shunem. 2 Kings iv, 8-17 299 16. The Shunammite's Son. 2 Kings iv, 18-37 300 1 7. Naaman Healed. 2 Kings v, 1-14 302 18. Gehazi Smitten. 2 Kings v, 20-27 304 19. Elisha's Defenders. 2 Kings vi, 8-17 305 20. Samaria Delivered. 2 Kings vii, 1-11 306 21. Elisha's Prophecy Fulfilled. 2 Kings vii, 12-20 , 308 22. Jehu Anointed. 2 Kings ix, 1-7 309 23. The Death of Elisha. 2 Kings xiii, 13-25 310 24. Jonah's Flight. Jonah i, 1-17 311 25. Jonah's Preaching. Jonah iii, 1-10 313 26. Jonah's Anger. Jonah iv, 1-11 314 27. The Warning op Amos. Amos iv, 1-13 315 28. Hosea's Appeal. Hosea xiv, 1-9 317 29. The Fall of Samaria. 2 Kings xvii, 6-18 313 30. Give Ear, O Shepherd. Psa. lxxx 319 OCTOBER. 1. The Descent of the Holy Spirit. Acts ii, 1-13 321 2. The Pentecostal Church. Acts ii, 37-47 322 3. The Lame Man Healed. Acts iii, 1-10 323 4. The Apostles Before the Council. Acts iv, 8-21 324 5. The Apostles Released. Acts v, 17-32 325 6. The Seven Chosen. Acts vi 326 7. Stephen, the First Martyr. Acts vii, 48-viii, 4 328 xii CONTENTS. PAGE 8. Philip and the Ethiopian. Acts viii, 26-40 329 9. Saul's Conversion. Acts ix, 1-18 331 10. Dorcas Restored to Life. Acts ix, 32-43 332 11. Cornelius the Centurion. Acts x, 30-44 , 333 12. The Church at Antioch. Acts xi, 19-30 .> 335 13. Peter Released from Prison. Acts. xii, 1-17 , 336 ^4. The First Missionary Journey. Acts xiii, 1-12 . 338 15. The Apostles at Lystra. Acts xiv, 8-20. . : 339 16. Paul at Philippi. Acts xvi, 6-15 340 11. The Philippian Jailer. Acts xvi, 22-34 341 18. Thessalonians and Bereans. Acts xvii, 1-14. 342 19. The Coming of tee Lord. 1 Thess. iv, 13-v, 6 344 20. Paul at Athens. Acts xvii, 22-34. ... : 345 21 . Paul at Corinth. Acts xviii, 1-11 346 22. Paul at Ephesus. Acts xix, 1-10 347 23. The Fruits of the Spirit. Gal. v, 22-vi, 10 348 24. Justification by Faith. Rom. v, 1-1 1 349 25. The Safety of the Believer. Rom. viii, 28-39 350 26. Counsels to Christians. Rom. xii, 1-13 351 27. The Preaching of the Cross. 1 Cor. i, 18-31 352 28. Christian Love. 1 Cor. xiii, 1-13 353 29. The Resurrection of the Dead. 1 Cor. xv, 50-58 354 30. The Seen and the Unseen. ,2 Cor. iv, 6-18 355 31. Christian Giving. 2 Cor. ix, 6-15 356 NOVEMBER. X. Rehoboam's Reign over Judah. 2 Chron. xii, 1-12 358 2. Asa's Reformation. 2 Chron. xiv, 1-12 359 3. Jehosiiaphat's Prayer. 2 Chron. xx, 2-13 360 4. Jehoshaphat Delivered. 2 Chron. xx, 14-24 362 5. Jehoash Repairing the Temple. 2 Kings xii, 1-12 363 6. Isaiah's Vision. Isa. vi, 1-13 365 7. Hezekiah the King. 2 Chron. xxix, 1-11 366 8. Hezekiah's Sickness. 2 Kings xx, 1-11 367 9. Isaiah's Exhortation. Isa. i, 1-18 368 10. The Coming Redeemer. Isa. ix, 2-7 370 11. Messiah's Kingdom. Isa. xi, 1-10 371 12. The Way of Holiness. Isa. xxxv, 1-10 ' 372 13. Comfort to God's People. Isa. xl, 1-11 373 14. The Atoning Saviour. Isa. liii, 1-12. 374 15. The Everlasting Covenant.. Isa. Iv, 1-12 376 16. Salvation for the Gentiles. Isa. Ix, 1-10 377 17. Jqsiah the Young Reformer. 2 Chron. xxxiv, 1-8 378 18. The Book of the Law Found. 2 Chron. xxxiv, 14-28 379 19. Jeremiah Called. Jer. i, 7-19 381 CONTENTS. xni PAGE 20. The Sin of Judah. Jer. xvii, 1-10 382 21. The Captivity of Judah. 2 Chron. xxxvi, 11-21 383 22. By the Rivers of Babylon. Psa. cxxxvii, 1-G 385 23. The Watchman's Voice. Ezek. xxxiii, 1-11 385 24. Daniel's Purpose. Dan. i, 8-21 386 25. Belsiiazzar's Vision. Dan. v, 1-12 388 26. Daniel's Interpretation. Dan. v, 17-31 389 27. Daniel in the Den of Lions. Dan. vi, 10-23 391 28. "When the Lord Turned Again. Psa. cxxvi 392 29. The Return from Captivity. Ezra i, 1-6 393 30. The Coming of the Messenger. Mai. iii, 16-iv, 6 394 Thanksgiving Day. Sing unto the Lord. Psa. xcvi 395 DECEMBER. 1. Paul at Troas. Acts xx, 6-16 396 2. Paul at Miletus. Acts xx, 17-27 397 3. Paul at Miletus. Acts xx, 28-38 398 4. Paul's Journey to Jerusalem. Acts xxi, 3-15 399 5. Paul's Arrest. Acts xxi, 27-40 400 6. Paul in the Castle. Acts xxii, 17-29 402 7. Paul Before Felix. Acts xxiv, 10-27 403 8. Paul Before Agrippa. Acts xxvi, 1-18 405 9. Agrippa and Paul. Acts xxvi, 19-32 406 10. The Voyage. Acts xxvii, 1-13 408 11. Paul in the Storm. Acts xxvii, 14-26 409 12. The Shipwreck. Acts xxvii, 33-44 410 13. Paul at Melita. Acts xxviii, 1-10 411 14. Paul at Rome. Acts xxviii, 16-31 412 15. Reconciliation with God. Eph. ii, 4-22 414 16. The Perfect Man. Eph. iv, 7-16 415 17. The Mind of Christ. Phil, ii, 5-16 416 18. Risen with Christ. Col. iii, 1-1 5 417 19. Godliness with Contentment. 1 Tim. vi, G-1G 418 20. Paul's Last Charge. 2 Tim. iv, 1-8 419 21. The Precious Blood. 1 Pet. i, 13-25 420 22. The Complete Christian. 2 Pet. i, 1-11 421 23. The Son of Gorf. Heb. i, 1-14 422 24. The Triumphs of Faith. Heb. xi, 12-26 424 25. Christmas Reading. Isa. ix, 2-7 425 26. The Privilege of Believers. 1 John i, 1-10 426 27. The Children of God. 1 John iii, 1-10 427 28. John's Vision. Rev. iv, 1-11 427 29. The Book of Redemption. Rev. v, 1-14 429 30. The Great Multitude. Rev. vii, 9-17 431 31. The Last Words. Rev. xxii 432 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. JANUARY 1. The Creation of the World. Gen. i, 1-13. 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void ; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light : and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good : and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear : and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the 2 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. gathering together of the waters called he Seas : and God saw that it was good. 11 And Grod said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth : and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind : and Grod saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. JANUARY 2. Praise ye the Lord. Psa. cxlviii. 1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens : praise him in the heights. 2 Praise ye him, all his angels : praise ye him, all his hosts. 3 Praise ye him, sun and moon : praise him, all ye stars of light. 4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord : for he commanded, and they were created. 6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever : he hath made a decree which shall not pass. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps : 8 Fire, and hail ; snow, and vapor ; stormy wind fulfilling his word : 9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 3 10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl : 11 Kings of the earth, and all people ; princes, and all judges of the earth : 12 Both young men, and maidens ; old men, and children : 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent ; his glory is above the earth and heaven. 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints ; even of the children of Is'ra-el, a peo- ple near unto him. Praise ye the Lord. JANUARY 3. The Creation of Man. Gen. i, 20-31. 20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abun- dantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind : and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the liv- ing creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind : and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that 4 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. creepeth upon the earth after his kind : and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeuess : and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creep- ing thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him ; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to «very beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat : and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. JANUARY 4. The Fall of Man. Gen. iii, 1-15. 1 Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden ? SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 5 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath, said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die : 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her hus- band with her ; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked ; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walk- ing in the garden in the cool of the day : and Ad'ain and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Ad'am, and said unto him, Where art thou ? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked ; and I hid my- self. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked ? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I com- manded thee that thou shouldest not eat"? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done ? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Be- 6 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR BAIL Y READING. cause thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field ; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life : 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. JANUARY 5. The Death of Abel. Gen. iv, 3-15. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 And A'bel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto A'bel and to his offering : 5 But unto Cain and his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art. thou wroth ? and why is thy countenance fallen ? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted ? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door : and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 And Cain talked with A'bel his brother : and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against A'bel his brother, and slew him. 9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is A'bel thy brother ? And he said, I know not : Am I my brother's keeper ? 10 And he said, What hast thou done ? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 7 hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not hence- forth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond slialt thou be in the earth. 13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth ; and from thy face shall I be hid ; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth ; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whoso- ever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any linding him should kill him. JANUARY 6. The Heavens Declare. Psa. xix. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his cham- ber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it : and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 8 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. *i The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul : the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlight- ening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever : the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold : sweeter also than honey, and the honey- comb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned : and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins ; let them not have dominion over me : then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great trans- gression. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. JANUARY 7. The Flood Foretold. Gen. vi, 5-22. 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth ; both man, and SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 9 beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air ; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But No'ah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the generations of No'ah : No'ah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and No'ah walked with God. 10 And No'ah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Ja'pheth. 11 The earth also was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt ; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto No'ah, The end of all flesh is come before me ; for the earth, is filled with violence through them ; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood ; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above ; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. 18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every 10 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee ; they shall be male and female. 20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind ; two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. 21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee ; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 22 Thus did No'ah; according to all that God com- manded him, so did he. JANUARY 8. ft Going out of the Ark. Gen. viii, 6-22. 6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that No'ah opened the window of the ark which he had made : 7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from oif the earth. 8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark ; for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. Then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. 10 And he stayed yet other seven days ; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came in to him in the evening, and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off: so No'ah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. 11 12 And he stayed yet other seven days, and sent forth the dove, which returned not again unto him any more. 13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth : and No'ah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, be- hold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. 15 And God spake unto No'ah, saying, 16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons 7 wives with thee. 17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth ; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. 18 And No'ah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons 1 wives with him : 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. 20 And No'ah builded an altar unto the Lord ; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savor; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth : neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22 While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. 12 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JANUARY 9. God's Covenant with Noah. Gen. ix, 8-19. 8 And God spake unto No'ah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you ; 10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you ; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood ; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the token of the cove- nant which I make between me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual gen- erations : 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be fo? a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud : 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is be- tween me and you and every living creature of all flesh ; and the Waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud ; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting cov- enant between God and everv living; creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17 And God said unto No'ah, This is the token of the covenant, w r hich I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 13 m ■■' ■ ■ — — — ■ ■ — - ■ i - . ■ i ■ 18 And the sons of No'ah, that went forth of the ark, were Shein, and Ham, and Ja'pheth: and Ham is the father of Ca'naan. 19 These are the three sons of No'ah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. JANUARY lO. Make a Joyful Noise. Psa. c. 1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness : come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ve that the Lord he is God : it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves ; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise : be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. JANUARY 11. The Call of Abram. Gen. xii, 1-10. 1 Now the Lord had said unto A'bram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee : 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great ; and thou shalt be a blessing : 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee : and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 4 So A'bram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto 14 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. him ; and Lot went with him : and A'bram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5 And A'bram took Sa'rai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Ha'ran ; and they went forth to go into the land of Ca'naan ; and into the land of Ca'naan they came. 6 And A'bram passed through the land unto the place of Si'chem, unto the plain of Mo'reh. And the Ca'naan-ite was then in the land. 7 And the Lord appeared unto A'bram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land : and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. 8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth'el, and pitched his tent, having Beth'el on the west, and Ha'i on the east : and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And A'bram journeyed, going on still toward the south. 10 And there was a famine in the land: and A'bram went down into E'gypt to sojourn there ; for the famine was grievous in the land. JANUARY 12. God's Promise to Abram. Gen. xiii, 7-18. 7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of A'bram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle : and the Ca'naan-ite and the Per'iz-zite dwelt then in the land. 8 And A'bram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen ; for we be brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before thee ? separate thy- SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 15 self, I pray thee, from me : if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right ; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jor'dan, that it was well watered every-where, before the Lord destroyed Sod'om and Go-mor'rah, even as the garden of the Loud, like the land of E'gypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jor'dan ; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 A'bram dwelt in the land of Ca'naan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sod'om. 13 But the men of Sod'om were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. 14 And the Lord said unto A'bram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward : 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it ; for I will give it unto thee. 18 Then A'bram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mam're, which is in He'bron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. JANUARY 13. The Blessing of Melchizedek. Gen. xiv, 14-24. 14 And when A'bram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in 16 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Ho'bah, which is on the left hand of Da-mas'cus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. 17 And the king of Sod'om went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Ched-or-la-o'mer and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Sha'veh, which is the king's dale. 18 And Mel-chiz'e-dek king of Sa'lem brought forth bread and wine : and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be A'bram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth : 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. 21 And the king of Sod'om said unto A'bram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 22 And A'bram said to the king of Sod'om, I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made A'bram rich : 24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, A'ner, Esh'col, and Mam're; let them take their portion. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 17 JANUARY 14. The Lord is My Light. Psa. xxvii. 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation ; whom shall I fear ? the Lord is the strength of my life ; of whom shall I be afraid ? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear : though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me ; he shall set me upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me : therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy ; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice : have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face ; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me ; put not thy serv- ant away in anger : thou hast been my help ; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine ene- mies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 18 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart : wait, I say, on the Lord. JANUARY 15. God's Covenant with Abram. Gen. xv, 5-18. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them : and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord ; and he counted it to him for righteousness. 7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chal'dees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said unto him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another : but the birds divided he not. 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses A'bram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon A'bram ; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto A'bram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them ; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 19 I judge : and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again : for the iniquity of the Am'o-rites is not yet full. 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18 In that same day the Lord made a covenant witli A'bram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of E'gypt unto the great river, the river Eu-phra'tes : JANUARY 16. Abraham's Prayer for Sodom. Gen. xviii, 22-33. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sod'orn : but A'bra-ham stood yet before the Lord. 23 And A'bra-ham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked ? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city : wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein ? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked ; and that the right- eous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee : Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sod'om fifty right- eous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27 And A'bra-ham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes : 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty 20 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. righteous : wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five ? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 29 And he spoke unto him yet again, and said, Per- ad venture there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. 30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak : Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord : Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not 'the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once : Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. 33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with A'bra-ham: and A'bra-hani re- turned unto his place. JANUARY 17. The Trial of Abraham's Faith. Gen. xxii, 1-13. 1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt A'bra-ham, and said unto him, A'bra-ham : and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Psaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Mo-ri'ah ; and offer him there for a burnt- offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3 And A'bra-ham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and I'saac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt* SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 21 offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day A'bra-ham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And A'bra-ham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass ; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And A'bra-ham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon I'saac his son ; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife ; and they went both of them together. 7 And I'saac spake unto A'bra-ham his father, and said, My father : and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood : but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering ? 8 And A'bra-ham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering : so they went both of them together. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of ; and A'bra-ham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound I'saac his sou, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And A'bra-ham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the Angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, A'bra-ham, A'bra-ham : and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him : for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. 13 And A'bra-ham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns : and A'bra-ham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. 22 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JANUARY IS. Come, let us Sing. Psa. xcv, 1-11. 1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord : let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth : the strength of the hills is his also. 5 The sea is his, and he made it : and his hands formed the dry land. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down : let us kneel before the Lord our maker. f For he is our God ; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To-day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness : 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this genera- tion, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways : 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. JANUARY 19. God's Blessing upon Isaac. Gen, xxvi, 19-29. 19 And I'saac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20 And the herdmen of Ge'rar did strive with Tsaac's SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 23 herd men, saying, The water is ours : and he called the name of the well E'sek ; because they strove with him. 21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also : and he called the name of it Sit'nah. 22 And he removed from thence, and disced another well ; and for that they strove not : and he called the name of it Re-ho'both ; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. 23 And he went up from thence to Be-er'she-ba. 24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of A'bra-ham thy father : fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multi- ply thy seed for my servant A' bra-ham's sake. 25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there : and there I'saac's servants digged a well. 26 Then A-bim'e-lech went to him from G-e'rar, and A-huz'zath one of his friends, and Phi'chol the chief captain of his army. 27 And I'saac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you ? 28 And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was w r ith thee : and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee ; 29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace : thou art now the blessed of the Lord. JANUARY 20. Jacob's Vision. Gen. xxviii, 10-22. 10 And Ja'cob went out from Be-er'she-ba, and went toward Ha'ran. 11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried 24 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. there all night, because the sun was set ; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 1 2 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven : and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13, And, behold, the Loed stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of A'bra-ham thy father, and the God of I'saac : the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed ; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth ; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south : and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 16 And Ja'cob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Loed is in this place ; and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place ! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 18 And Ja'cob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Beth'el: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. 20 And Ja'cob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace ; then shall the Loed be my God : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 25 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house : and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. JANUARY 21. Jacob's Wrestling. Gen. xxxii, 24-32. 24 And Ja'cob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh ; and the hol- low of Ja'cob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Ja'cob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Ja'cob, but Is'ra-el : for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Ja'cob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name ? And he blessed him there. 30 And Ja'cob called the name of the place Pe-ni'el : for I have seen God face to face, and my life is pre- served. 31 And as he passed over Pe-nu'el the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. 32 Therefore the children of Is'ra-el eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day; because he touched the hollow of Ja'coVs thigh in the sinew that shrank. 26 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JANUARY 22. Give Unto the Lord. Psa. xxix, 1-11. 1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name ; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters : the God of glory thundereth : the Lord is upon many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful ; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars ; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Leb'a-non. 6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf ; Leb'a-non and Sir'i-on like a young unicorn. 7 The voice of the Lord divideth the names of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness ; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Ka'desh. 9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and disco vereth the forests : and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. 10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King forever. 11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. JANUARY 23. The Dreams of Joseph. Gen. xxxvii, 3-14. 3 Now Is'ra-el loved Jo'seph more than all his chil- dren, because he was the son of his old age : and he made him a coat of many colors. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 27 him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. 5 And Jo'seph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren : and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed : 7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright ; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reisna over us ? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us 'i And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more ; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren : and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed ? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth ? 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. 12 And his brethren w^enttofeed their father's flock in She'chem. 13 And Is'ra-el said unto Jo'seph, Do not thy breth- ren feed the flock in She'chem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of He'bron, and he came to She'chem. 28 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JANUARY 24. The Selling of Joseph. Gen. xxxvii, 23-36. 23 And it came to pass, when Jo'seph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Jo'seph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him ; 24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit : and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ish'ma-el-ites came from Gil'e-ad, with their camels bear- ing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to E'gypt. 26 And Ju'dah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood ? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ish'ma-el-ites, and let not our hand be upon him ; for he is our brother and our flesh : and his brethren were content. 28 Then there passed by Mid'i-an-ites, merchantmen ; and they drew and lifted up Jo'seph out of the pit, and sold Jo'seph to the Ish'ma-el-ites for twenty pieces of silver : and they brought Jo'seph into E'gypt. 29 And Reu'ben returned unto the pit ; and, behold, Jo'seph was not in the pit ; and he rent his clothes. 30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not ; and I, whither shall I go ? 31 And they took Jo'seph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood ; 32 And they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found : know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat ; an evil beast hath devoured him ; Jo'seph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34 And Ja'cob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 29 35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him ; but he refused to be comforted ; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. 36 And the Mid'i-an-ites sold him into E'gypt unto Pot'i-phar, an officer of Pha'raoh's, and captain of the guard. JANUARY 25. Joseph Called out of Prison. Gen. xli, 14-32. 14 Then Pha'raoh sent and called Jo'seph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pha'raoh. 15 And Pha'raoh said unto Jo'seph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it : and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Jo'seph answered Pha'raoh, saying, It is not in me : God shall give Pha'raoh an answer of peace. 17 And Pha'raoh said unto Jo'seph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river : 18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored ; and they fed in a meadow : 19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of E'gypt for badness : 20 And the lean and the ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine : 21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them ; but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good : 30 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them : 24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears : and I told this unto the magicians ; but there was none that could declare it to me.. 25 And Jo'seph said unto Pha'raoh, The dream of Pha'raoh is one : God hath showed Pha'raoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good kine are seven years ; and the seven good ears are seven years : the dream is one. 27 And the seven thin and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years ; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pha'- raoh : What God is about to do he showeth unto Pha'- raoh. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of E'gypt : 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine ; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of E'gypt ; and the famine shall consume the land ; 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the. land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pha'- raoh twice ; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. JANUARY 26. Joseph Ruler of Egypt. Gen. xli, 38-48. 38 And Pha'raoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is ? SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 31 39 And Pha'raoh said unto Jo'seph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art : 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pha'raoh said unto Jo'seph, See, I have set thee over all the land of E'gypt. 42 And Pha'raoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Jo'seph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck ; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee : and he made him ruler over all the land of E'gypt. 44 And Pha'raoh said unto Jo'seph, I am Pha'raoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of E'gypt. 45 And Pha'raoh called Jo'seph's name Zaph'nath- pa-a-ne'ah ; and he gave him to wife As'e-nath the daugh- ter of Pot-i-phe'rah priest of On. And Jo'seph went out over all the land of E'gypt. 46 And Jo'seph was thirty years old when he stood before Pha'raoh king of E'gypt. And Jo'seph went out from the presence of Pha'raoh, and went throughout all the land of E'gypt. 47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of E'gypt, and laid up the food in the cities : the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 32 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JANUARY 27. Judah and Benjamin. Gen. xliv, 18-34. 18 Then Ju'dah came near unto him, and said, O my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn agains^ thy servant : for thou art even as Pha'raoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother ? 20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one ; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. 21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father : for if he should leave his father, his father would die. 23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down w T ith you, ye shall see my face no more. 24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. 26 And we said, We cannot go down : if our young- est brother be with us, then will we go down : for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. 27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: 28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces ; and I saw him not since : 29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the' grave. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 33 30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us ; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life ; 31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die : and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever. 33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord ; and let the lad go up with his brethren. 34 For bow shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me ? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father. JANUARY 28. Joseph made Known. Gen. xlv, 1-14. 1 Then Jo'seph. could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him ; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Jo'seph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud : and the E-gyp'tians and the house of Pha'raoh heard. 3 And Jo'seph said unto his brethren, I am Jo'seph ; doth my father yet live ? And his brethren could not answer him ; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Jo'seph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Jo'seph your brother, whom ye sold into E'gypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with your- selves, that ye sold me hither : for God did send me before you to preserve life. 34 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land : and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God : and he hath made me a father to Pha'raoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of E'gypt. 9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Jo'seph, God hath made me lord of all E'gypt : come down unto me, tarry not: 10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Go'shen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast : 11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine ; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. 12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Ben'ja-min, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. 13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in E'gypt, and of all that ye have seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. 14 And he fell upon his brother Ben'ja-min's neck, and wept ; and Ben'ja-min wept upon his neck. JANUARY 29. Jacob's Journey to Egypt. Gen. xlv, 24-xlvi, 7. 24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed : and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 35 25 And they went up out of E'gypt, and came into the land of Ca'naan unto Ja'cob their father, 26 And told him, saying, Jo'seph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of E'gypt. And Ja'cob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. 27 And they told him all the words of Jo'seph, which he had said unto them : and when he saw the wagons which Jo'seph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Ja'cob their father revived. 28 And Is'ra-el said, It is enough ; Jo'seph my son is yet alive : I will go and see him before I die. 1 And Is'ra-el took his journey with all that he had, and came to Be-er'she-ba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father I'saac. 2 And God spake unto Is'ra-el in the visions of the night, and said, Ja'cob, Ja'cob : and he said, Here am I. 3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father : fear not to go down into E'gypt ; fori will there make of thee a great nation. 4 I will go down with thee into E'gypt ; and I will also surely bring thee up again : and Jo'seph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. 5 And Ja'cob rose up from Be-er'she-ba : and the sons of Is'ra-el carried Ja'cob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pha'raoh had sent to carry him. 6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Ca'naan, and came into E'gypt, Ja'cob, and all his seed with him : 7 His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into E'gypt. 36 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JANUARY 30. Jacob Blessing Joseph's Sons. Gen. xlviii, 8-20. 8 And Is'ra-el beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these ? 9 And Jo'seph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. 10 Now the eyes of Is'ra-el were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him ; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 And Is'ra-el said unto Jo'seph, I had not thought to see thy face : and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed. 1 2 And Jo'seph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Jo'seph took them both, E'phra-im in his riofht hand toward Is'ra-el's left hand, and Ma-nas'seh in his left hand toward Is'ra-el's right hand, and brought them near unto him. 14 And Is'ra-el stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon E'phra-im's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Ma-nas'seh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Ma-nas'seh was the first-born. 15 And he blessed Jo'seph, and said, God, before whom my fathers A'bra-ham and I'saac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads ; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers A'bra-ham and I'saac ; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. 17 And when Jo'seph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of E'phra-im, it displeased him : and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from E'phra-im's head unto Ma-nas'seh's head. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 37 18 And Jo'seph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the first-born ; put thy right hand upon his head. 19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it : he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great : but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multi- tude of nations. 20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Is'ra-el bless, saying, God make thee as E'phra-im and as Ma-nas'seh : and he set E'phra-im before Ma- nas'seh. JANUARY 31. The Old Age of Joseph. Gen. 1, 14-26. 14 And Jo'seph returned into E'gypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 15 And when Jo'seph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Jo'seph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16 And they sent a messenger unto Jo'serm, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17 So shall ye say unto Jo'seph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin ; for they did unto thee evil : and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Jo'seph wept w T hen they spake unto him. 18 And his brethren also w r ent and fell down before his face ; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19 And Jo'seph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God ? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me ; but 38 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. • God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not : I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. 22 And Jo'seph dwelt in E'gypt, he, and his father's house : and Jo'seph lived a hundred and ten years. 23 And Jo'seph saw E'phra-im's children of the third generation: the children also of Ma'chir, the son of Ma- nas'seh, were brought up upon Jo'seph's knees. 24 And Jo'seph said unto his brethren, I die ; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to A'bra-hain, to I'saac, and to Ja'cob. 25 And Jo'seph took an oath of the children of Is'ra-el, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. 26 So Jo'seph died, being a hundred and ten years old : and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in E'gypt. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 39 FEBRUARY 1. The Word Made Flesh. John i, 1-14. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, aud the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him ; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life ; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness ; and the dark- ness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was ' John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear wit- ness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name : 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 40 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. FEBRUARY 2. The Vision of Zacharias. Luke i, 5-17. 5 There was in the days of Her'od, the king of Ju-de'a, a certain priest named Zach-a-ri'as, of the course of A-bi'a : and his wife was of the daughters of Aa'ron, and her name was E-lis'a-beth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walk- ing in all the commandments and ordinances of the "Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because that E-lis'a-beth was barren; and they both were now well stricken in years. 8 And it came to pass, that, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were pray- ing without at the time of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zach-a-ri'as saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zach-a- ri'as : for thy prayer is heard ; and thy wife E-lis'a-beth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness ; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink ; and he shall be "filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his moth- er's womb. 16 And many of the children of Is'ra-el shall he turn to the Lord their God. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 41 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of E-li'as, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just ; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. FEBRUARY 3. The Annunciation to Mary. Luke i, 26-33. 26 And in the sixth month the an^el Ga'bri-el was sent from God unto a city of Gal'i-lee, named Naz'a-reth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Jo'seph, of the house of Da'vid ; and the virgin's name was Ma'ry. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Ma'ry: for thou hast found favor with God. 31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father Da'vid: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Ja'cob for- ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. FEBRUARY 4. The Song of Mary. Luke i, 4G-56. 46 And Ma'ry said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 42 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 48 For lie hath regarded the low estate of his hand- maiden : for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things ; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath showed strength with his arm ; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath holpen his servant Is'ra-el, in remem- brance of his .mercy ; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to A'bra-ham, and to his seed forever. 56 And Ma'ry abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. FEBRUARY 5. The Song of Zacharias. Luke i, 67-80. 67 And his father Zach-a-ri'as was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Is'ra-el ; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69 And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant Da'vid ; 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began : 71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us ; 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant ; SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 43 73 The oath which he sware to our father A'bra-ham, 74 That he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways ; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God ; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Is'ra-el. FEBRUARY 6. The Birth of Jesus. Luke ii, 8-20. • 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them ; and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not : for, be- hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 1 1 For unto you is born this day in the city of Da'vid a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 44 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you ; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multi- tude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth'le-hem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Ma'ry and Jo'seph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Ma'ry kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and prais- ing God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. FEBRUARY 7. The Blessing of Simeon. Luke ii, 25-38. 25 And, behold, there was a man in Je-ru'sa-lem, whose name was Sim'e-on ; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Is'ra-el : and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 45 that be should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple : and when the parents brought in the child Je'sus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word : 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people ; 32 A light to lighten the Gen'tiles, and the glory of thy people Is'ra-el. 33 And Jo'seph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Sim'e-pn blessed them, and said unto Ma'ry his mother. Behold, this child is set for the fall and ris- ing again of many in Is'ra-el ; and for a sign which shall be spoken against ; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also ;) that the thoughts of many hearts may be re- vealed. 36 And there was one An'na, a prophetess, the daugh- ter of Phan-u'el, of the tribe of A'ser : she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity ; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks like- wise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Je-ru'sa-lera, 16 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS WOR DAILY READING* KK1 iRUARY S. The Visit of the Wise Men. Matt. ii. 1-12, 1 Now when Jesus was born in Beth le-hem of Ju- . in die days of Herod the king, behold, there eame Wise men from the east to 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Je'sus unto him, Get thee hence, Sa'tan : for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. FEBRUARY 16. The Lord Said Unto My Lord. Psa. ex, 1-7. 1 The Loed said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 The Loed shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zi'on : rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning : thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4 The Loed hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Mel-chiz'e-dek. 5 The. Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies ; he shall wound the heads over many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. FEBRUARY 17. Behold the Lamb. John i, 29-34. 29 The next day John seeth Je/sus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world ! SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 55 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me ; for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not : but that he should be made manifest to Is'ra-el, therefore am I come baptiz- ing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy- Ghost. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. FEBRUARY IS. The Earliest Followers. John i, 35-51. 35 Again the next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples : 36 And looking upon Je'sus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God ! 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Je'sus. 38 Then Je'sus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye ? They said unto him, B-ab'bi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day : for it was about the tenth hour. 56 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 40 One of the two which heard John speak, and fol- lowed him, was An 'drew, Si'inon Pe'ter's brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Si'mon, and saith unto him, We have found the Mes-si'as, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42 And he brought him to Je'sus. And when Je'sus beheld him, he said, thou art Si'mon the son of Jo'nas : thou shalt be called Ce'phas, which is by interpreta- tion, A stone. 43 The day following Je'sus would go forth into Gal'i-lee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Fol- low me. 44 Now Phil'ip was of Beth-sa'i-da, the city of An'- drew and Pe'ter. 45 Phil'ip findeth Na-than'a-el, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Mo'ses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Je'sus of Naz'a-reth, the son of Jo'seph. 46 And Na-than'a-el said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of JSTaz'a-reth ? Phil'ip saith unto him, Come and see. 47 Je'sus saw Na-than'a-el coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Is'ra-el-ite indeed, in whom is no guile ! 48 Na-than'a-el saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me ? Je'sus answered and said unto him, Before that Phil'ip called thee, when thou wast under the fig- tree, I saw thee. 49 ISTa-than'a-el answered and saith unto him, Rab'- bi, thou art the Son of God ; thou art the King of Is'ra-el. 50 Je'sus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, belie vest thou ? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 57 you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. FEBRUARY 19. The First Miracle. John ii, 1-11. 1 And the third day there was a marriage in Ca'na of Gal'i-lee ; and the mother of Je'sus was there : 2 And both Je'sus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Je'sus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Je'sus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee ? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, contain- ing two or three firkins apiece. : 7 Je'sus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew,) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine ; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse : but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Je'sus in Ca'na of. Gal'i-lee, and manifested forth his glory : and his dis- ciples believed on him. 58 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. FEBRUARY 20. Cleansing the Temple. John ii, 13-25. 13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Je'sus went up to Je-ru'sa-leni, 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting : 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen ; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables ; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence ; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise. 17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things ? 19 Je'sus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days ? 2 1 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them ; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Je'sus had said. 23 Now when he was in Je-ru'sa-leni at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Je'sus did not commit himself unto them, be- cause he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man ; for he knew what was in man. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 59 FEBRUARY 21. Jesus and Nicodemus. John iii, 1-12. 1 There was a man of the Phar'i-sees, named Nic-o- de'mus, a ruler of the Jews : 2 The same came to Je'sus by night, and said unto him, Rab'bi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God : for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Je'sus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nic-o-de'mus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old ? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born ? 5 Je'sus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. c 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Mc-o-de'mus answered and said unto him, How can these things be ? 10 Je'sus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Is'ra-el, and knowest not these things ? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen ; and ye re- ceive not our witness. 60 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things \ FEBRUARY 22. Jesus the Saviour. John iii, 13-21. 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Mo'ses lifted up the serpent in the wil- derness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up : 15 That whosoever belie veth in him should not per- ish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that wdiosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to con- demn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned : but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 61 FEBRUARY 23. I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes. Psa. cxxi, 1-8. 1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved : he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Is'ra-el shall neither slum- ber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is thy keeper : the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil : he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. FEBRUARY 24. The Bridegroom's Friend. John iii, 25-36. 25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rab'bi, he that was with, thee beyond Jor'dan, to whom thou barest wdtness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive noth- ing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom : but 62 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and hear- eth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He that cometh from above is above all : he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth : he that cometh from heaven is above all. 32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifi- eth ; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God : for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him. FEBRUARY 26. Jesus at Jacob's Well. John iv, 1-14. 1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Phar'i-sees had heard that Je'sus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Je'sus himself baptized not, but his disci- ples,) 3 He left Ju-de'a, and departed again into Gall-lee. 4 And he must needs go through Sa-rna'ri-a. 5 Then cometh he to a city of Sa-ma'ri-a, which is called Sy'char, near to the parcel of ground that Ja'cob gave to his son Jo'seph. 6 Now Ja'cob's well was there. Je'sus therefore, be- SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 63 ing wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well : and it was about the sixth hour. 7 There comet h a woman of Sa-ma'ri-a to draw water : Je'sus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9 Then saith the woman of Sa-ma'ri-a unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Sa-ma'ri-a ? for the Jews have no deal- ings with the Sa-mar'i-tans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou k new- est the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink ; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 Then the woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep : from whence then hast thou that living w r ater ? 12 Art thou greater than our father Ja'cob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle ? 13 Je'sus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again : 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. FEBRUARY 26. The Samaritan Woman. John iv, 19-30. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain ; and ye say, that in Je-ru'sa-lem is the place where men ought to worship. 64 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 21 Je'sus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Je-ru'sa-lem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what : we know what we worship ; for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth ; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit : and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Mes-si'as cometh, which is called Christ : when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Je'sus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 27 And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman : yet no man said, What seekest thou ? or, Why talkest thou with her ? 28 The woman then left her water-pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did : is not this the Christ ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. FEBRUARY 27. The Harvest and the Reapers. John iv, 31-38. 31 In the meanwhile his disciples prayed him, say- ing, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat ? 34 Je'sus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 65 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest ? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receive th wages, and gath- ereth fruit unto life eternal : that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor : other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors. FEBRUARY 28. The Nobleman's Son. John iv, 46-54. 46 So Je'sus came again into Ca'na of Gal'i-lee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Ca-per'na-um. 47 When he heard that Je'sus was come out of Ju-de'a into Gall-lee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son : for he was at the point of death. 48 Then said Je'sus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50 Je'sus saith unto him, Go thy way ; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Je'sus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 66 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Je'sus said unto him, Thy son liveth : and himself believed, and his whole house. 54 This is again the second miracle that Je'sus did, when he was come out of Ju-de'a into Gal'i-lee. FEBRUARY 29. (FOR LEAP-YEAR.) I Will Praise Thee. Psa. cxxxviii, 1-8. 1 I will praise thee with my whole heart : before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth : for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. 3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth. 5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord : for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly : but the proud he knoweth afar off. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me : thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me : thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 67 MARCH 1. The Childhood of Moses. Exod. ii, 1-10. 1 And there went a man of the house of Le'vi, and took to wife a daughter of Le'vi. 2 And the woman conceived and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein ; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 5 And the daughter of Pha'raoh came down to wash herself at the river ; and her maidens walked along by the rivers side : and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. 6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child : and behold the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the He'brews' children. 7 Then said his sister to Pha'raoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the He/brew women, that she may nurse the child for thee ? 8 And Pha'raoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. 9 And Pha'raoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy w 7 ages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pha'raoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Mo'ses : and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. 6 68 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. MARCH 2. The Call of Moses. Exod. iii, 1-12. 1 Now Mo'ses kept the flock of Je'thro his father-in- law, the priest of Mid'i-an : and he led the flock to the back side of the desert, and came, to the mountain of God, even to Ho'reb. 2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush : and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Mo'ses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Mo'ses, Mo'ses : and he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, t)raw not nigh hither: put oif thy shoes from oif thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of A'bra-ham, the God of I'saac, and the. God of Ja'cob. And Mo'ses hid his face ; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in E'gypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters ; for I know their sorrows ; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the E-gyp'tians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey ; unto the place of the Ca'naan-ites, and the Hit'tites, and the Am'o-rites, and the Per'iz-zites, and the Hi'vites, and the Jeb'n-sites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 69 Is'ra-el is come unto me : and I have also seen the oppres- sion wherewith the E-gyp'tians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pha'raoh, that thou may est bring forth my people the children of Is'ra-el out of E'gypt. 11 And Mo'ses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pha'raoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Is'ra-el out of E'gypt ? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee : When thou hast brought forth the people out of E'gypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. MARCH 3. The Passover. Exod. xii, 21-31. 21 Then Mo'ses called for all the elders of Is'ra-el, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin ; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to smite the E-gyp'tians ; and when he seeth the blood upon the lin- tel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give yon, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. W SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. ? 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service ? ? 27* That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's ^passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Is'ra-el in E'gypt, when he smote the E-gyp'tians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshiped. 28 And the children of Is'ra-el went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Mo'ses and Aa'ron, so did they. 29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of E'gypt, from the first-born of Pha'raoh that sat on his throne unto the first- born of the captive that was in the dungeon ; and all the first-born of cattle. 30 And Pha'raoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the E-gyp'tians ; and there was a great cry in E'gypt : for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 81 And he called for Mo'ses and Aa'ron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my ^people, both ye and the children of Is'ra-el; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. MARCH 4. Crossing the Red Sea. Exod. xiv, 19-31. 49 And the Angel of God, which went before the camp of Is'ra-el, removed and went behind them ; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their* face, and stood behind them : 20 And it came between the camp of the E-gyp'tians and the camp of Is'ra-el ; and it was a cloud and dark- less to them, but it gave light by night to these : so that the one came not near the other all the ni^ht. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 71 21 And Mo'ses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Is'ra-el went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground : and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 23 And the E-gyp'tians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pha'raoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch, the Lord looked unto the host of the E-gyp'tians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the E-gyp'tians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily : so that the E-gyp'tians said, Let us flee from the face of Is'ra-el ; for the Lord fighteth for them against the E-gyp'tians. 26 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon> the E-gyp'tians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27 And Mo'ses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning* appeared ; and the E-gyp'tians fled against it ; and the Lord overthrew the E-gyp'tians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pha'raoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29 But the children of Is'ra-el walked upon dry land! in the midst of the sea ; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus the Lord saved Is'ra-el that day out of the hand of the E-gyp'tians ; and Is'ra-el saw the E-gyp'tians dead upon the sea-shore. 72 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 31 And Is'ra-el saw that great work which the Lord did upon the E-gyp'tians : and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Mo'ses. MARCH 5. The Song of Moses. Exod. xv, 1-13. 1 Then sang Mo'ses and the children of Is'ra-el this song nnto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become < my salvation : he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation ; my fathers God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a man of war : the Lord is his name. 4 Pha'raoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea : his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The depths have covered them : they sank into the bottom as a stone. 6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power : thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee : thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. , 8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 1 3 10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them : they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders ? 12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed : thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. MARCH 6. Marah and Elim. Exod. xv, 20-27. 20 Aistd Mir'i-am the prophetess, the sister of Aa'ron, took a timbrel in her hand ; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Mir'i-am answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously : the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 22 So Mo'ses brought Is'Ta-el from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur ; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23 And when they came to Ma'rah, they could not drink of the waters of Ma'rah, for they were bitter : there- fore the name of it was called Ma'rah. 24 And the people murmured against Mo'ses, saying, What shall we drink? 25 And he cried unto the Lord ; and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet : there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is 74 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his command- ments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the E-gyp'tians : for I am the Lord that healeth thee. 27 And they came to E'lim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees : and they encamped there by the waters. MARCH 7. Lord, Thou hast Been Our Dwelling-place. Psa. xc. 1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all gem erations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 3 Thou turnest man to destruction ; and sayest, Re- turn, ye children of men. 4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yester- day when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 5 Thou carries t them away as with a flood ; they are as a sleep : in the morning they are like grass which gi'oweth up. 6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up ; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. 7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath : we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten ; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 75 yet is their strength labor and sorrow ; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord, how long ? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. 1-4 satisfy us early with thy mercy ; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. 16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. 17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us : and establish thou the work of our hands upon us : yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. MARCH 8. The Manna. Exod. xvi, 13-23. 13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp : and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Is'ra-el saw it, they said one to another, It is manna : for they wist not what it was. And Mo'ses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the Lord hath com- manded, Gather of it every man according to his eat- 76 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. ing, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons ; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17 And the children of Is'ra-el did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gath- ered little had no lack ; they gathered every man ac- cording to his eating. 19 And Mo'ses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Mo'ses ; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank : and Mo'ses was wroth with them. 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating : and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man : and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Mo'ses. 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Loed hath said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy sab- bath unto the Lord : bake that which ye will bake to- day, and seethe that ye will seethe ; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. MARCH 9. The Rock in Horeb. Exod. xvii, 1-13. 1 And all the congregation of the children of Is'ra-el journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their jour- neys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 77 pitched in Re-phid'im : and there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Wherefore the people did chide with Mo'ses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Mo'ses said unto them, Why chide ye with me ? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord ? 3 And the people thirsted there for water ; and the people murmured against Mo'ses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of E'gypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst ? 4 And Mo'ses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people ? they be almost ready to stone me. 5 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Is'ra-el ; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Ho'reb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Mo'ses did so in the sight of the elders of Is'ra-el. 7 And he called the name of the place Mas'sah, and Mer'i-bah, because of the chiding of the children of Is'ra-el, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not ? 8 Then came Am'a-lek, and fought with Is'ra-el in Re-phid'im. 9 And Mo'ses said unto Josh'u-a, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Am'a-lek : to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10 So Josh'u-a did as Mo'ses had said to him, and fought with Am'a-lek: and Mo'ses, Aa'ron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Mo'ses held up his 78 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. hand, that Is'ra-el prevailed : and when he let down his hand, Am'a-lek prevailed. 12 But Mo'ses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon : and Aa'ron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side ; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Josh'u-a discomfited Am'a-lek and his people with the edge of the sword. MARCH lO. The Glory of the Lord. Exod. xix, 16-25. 16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trum- pet exceeding loud ; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 17 And Mo'ses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God ; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 And Mount Si'nai was altogether on a smoke, be- cause the Lord descended upon it in fire : and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Mo'ses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the Lord came down upon Mount Si'nai, on the top of the mount : and the Lord called Mo'ses up to the top of the mount ; and Mo'ses went up. 21 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 79 22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them. 23 And Mo'ses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to Mount Si'nai : for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. *24 And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aa'ron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them. 25 So Mo'ses went down unto the people, and spake unto them. MARCH 11. The Ten Commandments. Exod. xx, 1-17. 1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of E'gypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water- under the earth : 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them : for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me ; 6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain : for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 80 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work : 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates : 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day : wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12 Honor thy father and thy mother : that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's. MARCH 12. God's Covenant with Israel. Exod. xxiv, 1-12. 1 Keb he said unto Mo'ses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aa'ron, ISTa'dab, and A-bi'hu, and seventy of the elders of Is'ra-el ; and worship ye afar off. 2 And Mo'ses alone shall come near the Lord : but they shall not come nigh ; neither shall the people go up with him. 3 And Mo'ses came and told the people all the words SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 81 of the Lord, and all the judgments : and all the peo- ple answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. 4 And Mo'ses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar un- der the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Is'ra-el. 5 And he sent young men of the children of Is'ra-el, which offered burnt-oiferings, and sacrificed peace-offer- ings of oxen unto the Lord. 6 And Mo'ses took half of the blood, and put it in basins ; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people : and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8 And Mo'ses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words. 9 Then went up Mo'ses, and Aa'ron, Na'dab, and A-bi'hu, and seventy of the elders of Is'ra-el ; 10 And they saw the God of Is'ra-el : and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clear- ness. 11 And upon the nobles of the children of Is'ra-el he laid not his hand : also they saw God, and did eat and drink. 12 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there : and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written ; that thou mayest teach them. 82 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. MARCH 13. The Golden Calf. Exod. xxxii, 7-20. 7 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, Go, get thee down ; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of E'gypt, have corrupted themselves : 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them : they have made them a molt- en calf, and they have worshiped it, and have sacri- ficed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Is'ra-el, which have brought thee up out of the land of E'gypt. 9 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people : 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them : and I will make of thee a great nation. 11 And Mo'ses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy peo- ple, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of E'gypt with great power, and with a mighty hand ? 12 Wherefore should the E-gyp'tians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth ? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 13 Remember A'bra-ham, I'saac, and Is'ra-el, thy servants, to whom thou swearest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for- ever. 14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. 15 And Mo'ses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 83 hand : the tables were written on both their sides ; on the one side and on the other were they written. 16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon tbe tables. 17 And when Josh'u-a heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Mo'ses, there is a noise of war in the camp. 18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome ; but the noise of them that sin£ do I hear. 19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing : and Mo'ses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. 20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Is'ra-el drink of it. MARCH 14. Moses' Prayer for Israel. Exod. xxxii, 26-35. 26 TnEN Mo'ses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side ? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Le'vi gathered themselves to- gether unto him. 27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Is'ra-el, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his compan- ion, and every man his neighbor. 28 And the children of Le'vi did according to the 84 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. word of Mo'ses : and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 29 For Mo'ses had said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day. 30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Mo'ses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin : and now I will go up to the Lord ; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Mo'ses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin — ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee : behold, mine Angel shall go before thee : nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them. 35 And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aa'ron made. MARCH 15. God's Presence Promised. Exod. xxxiii, 11-19. 11 And the Lord spake unto Mo'ses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp ; but his servant Josh'u-a, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. 12 And Mo'ses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people : and thou hast not let SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 85 me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight : and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight ? is it not in that thou goest with us ? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. 17 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken : for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18 And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee ; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. MARCH 16. The Strange Fire. Lev. x, 1-11. 1 And Na'dab and A-bi'hu, the sons of Aa'ron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and de- voured them, and they died before the Lord. 86 SCRIPTURE SELECTION® FOR DAILY READING; 3 Then Mo'ses said unto Aa'ron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that- come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glori- fied. And Aa'ron held his peace. 4 And Mo'ses called Mi-sha'el and El-za'phan, the sons of Uz-zi'el the uncle of Aa'ron, and said unto them,. Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanc- tuary out of the camp. 5 So they went near, and carried them in their coats- out of the camp ; as Mo'ses had said. 6 And Mo'ses said unto Aa'ron, and unto E-le-a r zar and unto Ith'a-mar, his sons,. Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes;, lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people : but let your brethren, the whole house of Is'ra-el, bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled. t And ye shall not go out from the door of the tab- ernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anoint- ing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did accord- ing to the word of Mo'ses. 8 And the Lord spake unto Aa'ron, saying, 9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die : it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations : 10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean ; 11 And that ye may teach the children of Is'ra-elall the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Mo'ses. MARCH 17. The Report of the Spies. Num. xiii, 21-33, 21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Ke'hob, as men come to Ha'math. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR BAIL Y READING. 8 i 22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto He'bron ; where A-hi'nian, She'shai, and Tal'mai, the children of A'nak, were. (Now He'bron was built seven years before Zo'an in E'gypt.) 23 And they came unto the brook of Esh'col, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, aud they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. 24 The place was called the brook Esh'col, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Is'ra-el cut down from thence. 25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. 26 And they went and came to Mo'ses, and to Aa'- ron, and to all the congregation of the children of Is-'- ra-el, unto the wilderness of Pa'ran, to Ka'desh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the consTe- gation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, and said, T\ e came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey ; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great : and moreover we saw the children of A'nak there. 29 The Am'a-lek-ites dwell in the laud of the south: and thellit'tites, and the Jeb'u-sites, and the Am'o-rites, dwell in the mountains : and the Ca'naau-ites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jor'dan. 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Mo'ses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it ; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people ; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Is'ra-el, 88 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof ; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of A'nak, which come of the giants : and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. MARCH 18. The Murmuring of the People. Num. xiv, 1-10. 1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried ; and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Is'ra-el murmured against Mo'ses and against Aa'ron : and the whole congrega- tion said unto them,, Would God that we had died in the land of E'gypt ! or would God we had died in this wilderness ! 3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey ? were it not better for us to return into E'gypt ? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a cap- tain, and let us return into E'gypt. 5 Then Mo'ses and Aa'ron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Is'ra-el. 6 And Josh'u-a the son of Nun, and Ca'leb the son of Je-phun'neh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes : 7 And they spake unto all the company of the chil- dren of Is'ra-el, saying, The land, which we passed through to search, it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 89 into this land, and give it us ; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land ; for they are bread for us : their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us : fear them not. 10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared m the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Is'ra-el. MARCH 19. The Water in Kadesh. Num. xx, 1-12. 1 Then came the children of Is'ra-el, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month : and the people abode in Ka'desh ; and Mir'i-am died there, and was buried there. 2 And there was no water for the congregation : and they gathered themselves together against Mo'ses and against Aa'ron. 3 And the people chode with Mo'ses, and spake, say- ing, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord ! 4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? 5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of E'gypt, to bring us in unto this evil place ? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates ; neither is there any water to drink. 6 And Mo'ses and Aa'ron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces : and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. 90 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 7 And the Lord, spake unto Mo'ses, saying, 8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly to- gether, thou and Aa'ron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock : so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9 And Mo'ses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10 And Mo'ses and Aa'ron gathered the congrega- tion together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels ; must we fetch you water out of this rock ? 11 And Mo'ses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice : and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the Lord spake unto Mo'ses and Aa'ron, Because ye believe me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Is'ra-el, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. MARCH 20. The Brazen Serpent. Num. xxi, 1-9. 1 And when king A'rad the Ca'naan-ite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Is'ra-el came by the way of the spies ; then he fought against Is'ra-el, and took some of them prisoners. 2 And Is'ra-el vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. 3 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Is'ra-el, and delivered up the Ca'naan-ites ; and they utterly de- SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 91 stroyed them and their cities: and lie called the name of the place Iloi'mah. 4 And tin 1 )' journeyed from Mount Ilor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of E'doni : and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God, and against Mo'ses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of E'gypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water ; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the peo- ple, and they bit the people ; and much people of Is y - ra-el died. 7 Therefore the people came to Mo'ses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee ; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Mo'ses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said unto Mo'ses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole ; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Mo'ses nade a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole ; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. MARCH 21. Preserve Me, God. Psa. xvi. 1 Preserve me, O God : for in thee do I pat my trust. 2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou ait my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee ; 92 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 3 Bat to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. 5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup : thou maintainest my lot. 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places ; yea, I have a goodly heritage. 7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel : my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me : because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoic- eth : my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. MARCH 22. The Blessing of Balaam. Num. xxiii, 1-12. 1 And Balaam said unto Ba'lak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2 And Ba'lak did as Ba'laam had spoken ; and Ba'- lak and Ba'laam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3 And Ba'laam said unto Ba'lak, Stand by thy burnt- offering, and I will go : perad venture the Lord will come to meet me, and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a high place.. 4 And God met Ba'laam : and he said unto him, I SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 93 have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Ba'lak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Mo'ab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said, Ba'lak the kino; of Mo'ab hath brought me from A'ram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Ja'cob, and come, defy Is'ra-el. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed ? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him : lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Ja'cob, and the num- ber of the fourth part of Is'ra-el ? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! 11 And Ba'lak said unto Ba'laam, What hast thou done unto me ? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. 12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth 'i MARCH 23. The Prophecy of Balaam. Num. xxiv, 10-19. 10 And Ba'lak's anger was kindled against Ba'laam, and he smote his hands together: and Ba'lak said unto Ba'laam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, be- hold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. 94 SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. 11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor ; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor. 12 And Balaam said unto Ba'lak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, 13 If Ba'lak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind ; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak ? 14 And now, behold, I go unto my people : come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. 15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Be'or hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open : 17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh : there shall come a Star out of Ja'cob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Is'ra-el, and shall destroy all the children of Sheth. 18 And E'dom shall be a possession, Se'ir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Is'ra-el shall do valiantly. 19 Out of Ja'cob shall come he that shall have do- minion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. MARCH 24. Teaching the Law. Dent, vi, 1-9. 1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Loed your God com- manded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it : SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. 95 2 That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I com- mand thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life ; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Is'ra-el, and observe to do it ; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath prom- ised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4 Hear, O Is'ra-el : The Lord our God is one Lord : 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart : 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and wdien thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou rises t up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thv gates. MARCH 25. God's People. Deut. vii, 6-13. 6 For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Loud thy God hath chosen thee to be a spe- cial people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye w r ere more in number than any peo- ple ; for ye were the fewest of all people : 8 But because the Lord loved yon, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your 96 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. fathers, liath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pha'raoh king of E'gypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations ; 10 And repay eth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them : he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. 11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them. 12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers : 13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multi- ply thee : he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. MARCH 26. Remembering the Lord. Deut. viii, 6-18. 6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. 7 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills ; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig- trees, and pomegranates ; a land of oil olive, and honey ; SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. 97 9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it ; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou may- est dig brass. 10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day : 12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein ; 13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied ; 14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of E'gypt, from the house of bondage ; 15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water ; who brought thee forth w r ater out of the rock of flint ; 16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end ; 17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. 98 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR BAIL 7 READING. MARCH 27. Kindness to the Poor. Dent, xxiv, 14-22. 14 Thou slialt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates : 15 At his day thou shaft give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it ; for he is poor, and set- teth his heart upon it : lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee. 16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the chil- dren, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers : every man shall be put to death for his own sin. 17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless ; nor take a widow^s raiment to pledge : 18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bond- man in E'gypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence : therefore 1 command thee to do this thing. 19 When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it : it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow : that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. 20 When thou beatest thine olive-tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again : it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward : it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bond- man in the land of E'gypt : therefore I command thee to do this thing. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 99 MARCH 28. The Commandment of the Lord. Deut. xxx, 11-20. 11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it ? 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it ? 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. 15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil ; 16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his com- mandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply : and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to pos- sess it. 17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them ; 18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jor'dan to go to possess it. 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing : therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live : 20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him ; for he is thy life, and the length of 100 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. thy days ; that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to A'bra-ham, to I'saac, and to Ja'cob, to give them. MARCH 29. The Song of Moses. Deut. xxxii, 1-12. 1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass : 3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord : as- cribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect ; for all his ways are judgment : a God of truth and without in- iquity, just and right is he. 5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children : they are a perverse and crooked generation. 6 Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise ? is not he thy father that hath bought thee ? hath he not made thee, and established thee ? 7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations : ask thy father, and he will show thee ; thy elders, and they will tell thee. 8 When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Ad'am, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Is'ra-el. 9 For the Lord's portion is his people ; Ja'cob is the lot of his inheritance. 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 101 11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings ; 12 So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. MARCH 30. The Death of Moses. Deut. xxxiv. 1 And Mo'ses went up from the plains of Mo'ab unto the mountain of Ne'bo, to the top of Pis'gah, that is over against Jer'i-cho : and the Lord showed him all the land of Gil'e-ad, unto Dan, 2 And all Naph'ta-li, and the land of E'phra-im, and Ma-nas'seh, and all the land of Ju'dah, unto the utmost sea. 3 And the south, and the plain of the «valley of Jer'i-cho, the city of palm-trees, unto Zo'ar. 4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto A'bra-ham, unto Psaac, and unto Ja'cob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed : I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. 5 So Mo'ses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Mo'ab, according to the word of the Lord. 6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of. Mo'ab, over against Beth-pe'or : but no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day. 7 And Mo'ses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died : his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. 8 And the children of Is'ra-el wept for Mo'ses in the plains of Mo'ab thirty days : so the days of weeping and mourning for Mo'ses were ended. 102 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 9 And Josh'u-a the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom ; for Mo'ses had laid his hands upon him : and th& children of Is'ra-el hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Mo'ses. 10 And there arose not a prophet since in Is'ra-el like unto Mo'ses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 In all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of E'gypt, to Pha'raoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, 12 And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Mo'ses showed in the sight of all Is'ra-el. MARCH 3 1 . He that Dwelleth. Psa. xci. 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress : my God ; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust : his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night ; nor for the arrow that nieth by day ; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness ; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou bast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation ; SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 103 10 Tfyere shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him : I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble ; I will deliver" him, and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. EASTER DAY. Mark xvi, 9-20. 9 Now when Je'sus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Ma'ry Mag-da-le'ne, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, w T hen they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue : neither believed they them. 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief 104 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. and hardness of heart, because they believed •not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that belie veth and is baptized shall be saved ; bat he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe ; In my name shall they cast out devils ; they shall speak with new tongues ; 18 They shall take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every-where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 105 APRIL 1. The Rejection at Nazareth. Luke iv, 14-31. 14 And Je'sus returned in the power of the Spirit into Gal'i-lee : and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glori- fied of all. 16 And he came to Naz'a-reth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet E-sa'ias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ; he hath sent me to heal the broken -hearted, to preach de- liverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son ? 23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Ca-per'na-um, do also here in thy country. 106 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Is'ra-el in the days of E-li'as,. when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land ; 26 But unto none of them was E-li'as sent, save unto Sa-rep'ta, a city of Si'don, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Is'ra-el in the time of El-i-se'us the prophet ; and none of them was cleansed, saving Na'a-man the Syr'i-an. 28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 And they rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down head- long. 30 But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way, 31 And came down to Ca-per'na-um, a city of Gali- lee, and taught them on the sabbath days. APRIL 2. Four Disciples Called. Luke v, 1-11. 1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the w^ord of God, he stood by the lake of Gen-nes'a-ret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake : but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Si'mon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 107 little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Si'- mou, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. < 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the niodit, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes : and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Si'mon Pe'ter saw it, he fell down at Je'sus 1 knees, saying, Depart from me ; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken : 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zeb'e-dee, which were partners with Si'mon. And Je'sus said unto Si'mon, Fear not ; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. APRIL 3. Miracles at Capernaum. Mark i, 21-34. 21 And they went into Ca-per'na-um ; and straight- way on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his doctrine : for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 108 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit ; and he cried out, 24 Saying, Let us alone ; what have we to do with thee, thou Je'sus of Naz'a-reth ? art thou come to de- stroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Je'sus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this % what new doctrine is this ? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. 28 And immediately his fame spread abroad through- out the region round about Gal'i-lee. 29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Si'mon and An 'drew, with James and John. 30 But Si'mon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever ; and anon they tell him of her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. 33 And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils ; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 109 APRIL 4. The Tour in Eastern Galilee. Mark i, 35-45. 35 And in the morning, rising up a great' while be- fore day, he went out, and departed into a solitary- place, and there prayed. 36 And Si'mon and they that were with him fol- lowed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. 38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also : for therefore came I forth. 39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Gal'i-lee, and cast out devils. 40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 41 And Je'sus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will ; be thou clean. 42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. 43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away ; 44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man : but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Mo'ses com- manded, for a testimony unto them. 45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Je'sus could no more openly enter into the city, but was with- out in desert places : and they came to him from every quarter. no sctaprmasswa imailymmamx AJPRIL 5, The Paralytic Healed. Mark ii. 1-12. I A> n gain lie entered into Cfe-per na-um after some clays: and it was noised that he was in the hons 1 straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, n not sc :nneh as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3 And they came unto him. bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could uot come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was : and en they had broken it up. they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick ;: :he palsr . Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their fa Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies I who n forgive sins but God only : v And nnn . when Je sus perceived in his .rit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them. Why : ft£ a ye these things in your hearts 9 Whether is it sier, to sav to the sick of the sy. Thy sins be forgiven thee: or fcc say, Arise, and p thy bed and walk I 10 But that y - know that the Son of man hath power on earth t; forgive sins he saith to the sick of the palsy II I say unto thee. Ar.se. and take up thy bed. and B thv wav unto thine house. * * 1:2 And immediately he arose, took up the bed. and went f orth before them all : insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, g. We never saw it on tJ - .shion. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. Ill APRIL 6. The Miracle at Bethesda. John v, 1-15. 1 After this there was a feast of the Jews ; and Je'sus went up to Je-ru/sa-lem. 2 Now there is at Je-ru'sa-lem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the He'brew tongue Beth- es'da, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an in- firmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Je'sus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole ? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Je'sus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked : and on the same day was the sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day : it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. 12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk \ 112 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 13 And he that was healed wist not w r ho it was: for Je'sus had conveyed himself away, a multitude be- ing in that place. 14 Afterward Je'sus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole : sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. 15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Je'sus which had made him whole. APRIL 7. The Son and the Father. John v, 19-30. 19 Thek answered Je'sus and said unto them, Ver- ily, verily, I say, unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do : for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son like- wise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth : and he will show him greater w T orks than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and qui ck- eneth them ; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22 For the Father judge th no man, but hath com- mitted all judgment unto the Son : 23 That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son hon- oreth not the Father which hath sent him. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath ever- lasting life, and shall not come into condemnation ; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is com- ing, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God : and they that hear shall live. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 113 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself ; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judg- ment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge : and niy judgment is just ; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath, sent me. APRIL 8. The Lord of the Sabbath. Matt, xii, 1-8. 1 At that time Je'sus went on the sabbath day through the corn ; and his disciples were a-hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Phar'i-sees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what Da'vid did, when he was a-hungered, and they that were with him ; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the show-bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests ? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sab- bath, and are blameless ? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 114 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have con- demned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. APRIL 9. The Withered Hand. Mark iii, 1-14. 1 And he entered again into the synagogue ; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3 And he saith unto the man which had the with- ered hand, Stand forth. 4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil ? to save life, or to kill '( But they held their peace. 5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. , 6 And the Phar'i-sees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the He-ro'di-ans against him how they might destroy him. 7 But Je'sus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea : and a great multitude from Gal'i-lee followed him, and from Ju-de'a, 8 And from Je-ru'sa-lem, and from Id-u-me'a, and from beyond Jor'dan ; and they about Tyre and Si'don, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. 9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 115 10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. 11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thon art the Son of God. 12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known. 13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would : and they came unto him. 14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach. APRIL lO. The Beatitudes. Matt, v, 1-12. 1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain : and when he was set, his disciples came unto him : 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, say- 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit : for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek : for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be called the children of God. 9 116 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for right- eousness' sake : for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which w r ere before you. APRIL 11. Disciples and the World. Matt, v, 13-20. 13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted ? it is thence- forth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick ; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father wdiich is in heaven. 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven : but whoso- ever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteous- SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 117 ness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Phar'i-sees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. APRIL 12. Love to Enemies. Matt, v, 38-48. 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth : 39 But I say unto j^ou, That ye resist not evil : but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and per- secute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what re- ward have ye ? do not even the publicans the same ? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the publicans so ? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 118 SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. APRIL 13. How to Pray. Matt, vi, 1-15. 1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them : otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the syna- gogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto yon, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know w T hat thy right hand doeth : 4 That thine alms may be in secret : and thy Fa- ther wdiich seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are : for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their rew 7 ard. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret ; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them : for your Fa- ther knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye : Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 119 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debt- ors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil : For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the fflorv, forever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heav- enly Father will also forgive you : 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. APRIL 14. Worldly Cares. Matt, vi, 19-34. 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal : 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal : 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye : if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shalljbe full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness ! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ? 120 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much bet- ter than they ? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature ? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin : 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Sol'o-mon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, w^hich to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith ? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat ? or, What shall we drink ? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed ? 32 (For after all these things do the GTen'tiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow : for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. APRIL 15. Judging Others. Matt, vii, 1-12. 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged : and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 121 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. 7 Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you : 8 For every one that asketh receiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of yon, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone ? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent ? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him ? 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. APRIL 16. The False and the True. Matt, vii, 13-27. 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat : 122 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit ; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,- Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name done many won- derful works ? . • 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not : for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a fool- ish man, which built his house upon the sand : 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house ; and it fell : and great was the fall of it. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 123 APRIL 17. The Centurion's Servant. Luke vii, 1-10. 1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the au- dience of the people, he entered into Ca-per'na-um. 2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3 And when he heard of Je'sus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Je'sns, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this : 5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. 6 Then Je 'sus went with them. zVnd when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself ; for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof : 7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee : but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth ; and to another, Come, and he cometh ; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 9 When Je'sus heard these things, lie marveled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Is'ra-el. 10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. 124 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. APRIL IS. The Widow of Nain. Luke vii, 11-17. 11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Na'in ; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow : and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier : and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us ; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumor of him went forth throughout all Ju-de'a, and throughout all the region round about. APRIL 19. Rebuke and Invitation. Matt, xi, 20-30. 20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they re- pented not : 21 Woe unto thee, Cho-ra'zin ! woe unto thee, Beth- sai'da ! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Si'don, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 125 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Si'don at the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And thou, Ca-per'na-um, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sod'om, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more toler- able for the land of Sod'om in the day of judgment, than for thee. 25 At that time Je'sus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father ; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father : and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father ; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. APRIL 20. Washing the Saviour's Feet. Luke vii, 36-50. 36 And one of the Phar'i-sees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Phari- see's house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a 126 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. sinner, when she knew that Je'sus sat at meat in the Phar'i-see's house, brought an alabaster box of oint- ment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and. anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Phar'i-see which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what man- ner of woman this is that toucheth him ; for she is a sinner. 40 And Je'sus answering said unto him, Si'mon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Mas- ter, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debt- ors : the one owed five hundred pence, and the .other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most \ 43 Si'mon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Si'- mon, Seest thou this woman ? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss : but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint : but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much : but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 127 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also ? 50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee : go in peace. APRIL 21. Christ's Foes and His Friends. Mark iii, 20-30. 20' And the multitude cometh together a^ain, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him : for they said, He is beside himself. 22 And the scribes which came down from Je-ru'sa- lem said, He hath Be-el'ze-bub, and by the prince of the devils casteth lie out devils. 23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Sa'tan cast out Sa'tan ? 24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Sa'tan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man ; and then he will spoil his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith so- ever they shall blaspheme : 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. 128 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. APRIL 22. The Parable of the Sower. Matt, xiii, 1-9. 1 The same day went Je'sus out of the house, and sat by the sea-side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat ; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow ; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way- side, and the fowls came and devoured them up : 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth : and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth : 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched ; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns ; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them : 8 But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. APRIL 23. The Parable Interpreted. Matt, xiii, 10-23. 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables ? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 129 lie shall have more abundance : but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not ; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of E-sa'ias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not un- derstand ; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not per- ceive : 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed : lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they -see : and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way-side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it ; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while : for when tribulation and persecution ariseth be- cause of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word ; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he be- cometh unfruitful 130 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 23 But lie that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it ; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. APRIL 24. The Wheat and the Tares. Matt, xiii, 24-30, 36-43. 24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field : 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth frjLiit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants' of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field ? from whence then hath it tares ? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servant said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up ? 29 But he said, Nay ; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. - 30 Let both grow together until the harvest : and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them : but gather the wheat into my barn. 36 Then Je'sus sent the multitude away, and went into the house : and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man ; 38 The field is the world ; the good seed are the children of the kingdom ; but the tares are the children of the wicked one ; SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 131 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil ; the harvest is the end of the world ; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire ; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity ; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire : there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. APRIL 25. The Tempest Stilled. Matt, viii, 19-27. 19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20 And Je'sus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Je'sus said unto him, Follow me ; and let the dead bury their dead. 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his dis- ciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves : but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us : we perish. 26 And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O 10 132 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea ; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! APRIL 26. The Daughter of Jairus. Mark v, 22-43. 22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Ja'i-rus by name ; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daugh- ter lieth at the point of death : I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed ; and she shall live. 24 And Je'sus went with him; and much people fol- lowed him, and thronged him. 25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bet- tered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Je'sus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Je'sus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes ? SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 133 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thins:. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole ; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. 35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead : why troublest thou the Master any further? 36 As soon as Je'sus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Pe'ter, and James, and John the brother of James. 38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep ? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. 40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Tal'i-tha cu'mi ; w r hich is, being interpreted, Damsel, (I say unto thee,) arise. 42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked ; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. 134: SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat. APRIL 27. The Charge to the Twelve. Matt, x, 5-20. 5 These twelve Je'sus sent forth, and commanded theni, saying, Go not into the way of the Gen'tiles, and into any city of the Sa-mar'i-tans enter ye not : 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Is'- ra-el. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 .Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils : freely ye have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses ; 10 ISTor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, nei- ther shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. 11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy ; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into a house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it : but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sod'om and Go-mor'rah in the day of judgment, than for that city. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 135 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves : be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men : for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their syna- gogues ; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gen'tiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what } r e shall speak : for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. APRIL 28. Feeding the Five Thousand. John vi, 1-14. 1 After these things Je'sus went over the sea of Gal'i-lee, which is the sea of Ti-be'ri-as. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were dis- eased. 3 And Je'sus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 When Je'sus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Phil'ip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat ? 6 And this he said to prove him : for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Phil'ip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 136 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 8 One of his disciples, An'drew, Si'mon Pe'ter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes : but what are they among so many? 10 And Je'sus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Je'sus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down ; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they w 7 ere filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, w r hen they had seen the miracle that Je'sus did, said, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world. APRIL 29. Walking on the Sea. Mark vi, 45-56. 45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Beth-sai'da, while he sent away the people. 46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. 47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. 48 And he saw them toiling in rowing ; for the wind SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 137 was contrary unto them : and about the fourth watch of the night he comet h unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. 49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had beeu a spirit, and cried out : 50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. 51 And he went up unto them into the ship ; and the wind ceased : and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. 52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves ; for their heart was hardened. 53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gen-nes'a-ret, and drew to the shore. 54 And when they were come out of the ship, straight- way they knew 7 him, 55 And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. 56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment : and as many as touched him were made whole. APRIL 30. The Bread of Life. John vi, 25-37. 25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, . Rab'bi, when earnest thou hither ? 26 Je'sus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the mir- 138 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. acles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you : for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God ? 29 Je'sus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign show- est thou then, that we may see, and believe thee ? what dost thou work ? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert ; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Je'sus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Mo'ses gave you not that bread from heaven ; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Je'sus said unto them, I am the bread of life : he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that belie veth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 139 MAY 1. God's Call to Joshua. Josh, i, 1-9. 1 Now after the death of Mo'ses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Josh'- u-a the son of Nun, Mo'ses' minister, saying, 2 Mo'ses my servant is dead ; now therefore arise, go over this Jor'dan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Is'ra-el. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Mo'ses. 4 From the wilderness and this Leb'a-non even unto the great river, the river Eu-phra'tes, all the land of the Hit'tites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life : as I was with Mo'ses, so I will be with thee : I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage : for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Mo'ses my servant commanded thee : turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou may- est prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth ; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 140 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 9 Have not I commanded thee ? Be strong and of a good courage ; be not afraid, neither be thou dis- mayed: for the Lord thy, God is with thee whitherso- ever thou goest. MAY 2. Crossing the Jordan. Josh, iii, 5-17. 5 And Josh'u-a said unto the people, Sanctify your- selves : for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among you. 6 And Josh'u-a spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 7 And the Lord said unto Josh'u-a, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Is'ra-el, that they may know that, as I was with Mo'ses, so I will be with thee. 8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jor'dan, ye shall stand still in Jor'dan. 9 And Josh'u-a said unto the children of Is'ra-el, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God. 10 And Josh'u-a said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Ca'naan-ites, and the Hi'vites, and the Per'iz-zites, and the Gir'ga-shites, and the Am'o-rites, and the Jeb'u-sites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jor'dan. 12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Is'ra-el, out of every tribe a man. 13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 141 the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jor'dan, that the waters of Jor'dan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above ; and they shall stand upon a heap. 14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jor'dan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jor'dan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jor'dan over- flowed all his banks all the time of harvest,) 16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Ad 'am, that is beside Zar'e-tan ; and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cutoff: and the people passed over right against Jer'i-cho. 17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jor'dan, and all the Is'ra-el-ites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jor'dan. MAY 3. The Memorial Stones. Josh, iv, 4-14. 4 Then Josh'u-a called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Is'ra-el, out of every tribe a man : 5 And Josh'u-a said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jor'dan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Is'ra-el : 142 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones ? 7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jor'dan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord ; when it passed over Jor'dan, the waters of Jor'dan were cut off : and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Is'ra-el forever. 8 And the children of Is'ra-el did so as Josh'u-a com- manded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jor'dan, as the Lord spake unto Josh'u-a, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Is'ra-el, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 And Josh'u-a set up twelve stones in the midst of Jor'dan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. 10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jor'dan, until every thing was finished that the Lord commanded Josh'u-a to speak unto the peo- ple, according to all that Mo'ses commanded Josh'u-a: and the people hasted and passed over. 11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people. 12 And the children of Reu'ben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Ma-nas'seh, passed over armed before the children of Is'ra-el, as Mo'ses spake unto them : 13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle to the plains of Jer'i- cho. 14 On that day the Lord magnified Josh'u-a in the sight of all Is'ra-el ; and they feared him, as they feared Mo'ses, all the days of his life. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READIXG. 143 MAY 4. I Love the Lord. Psa. cxvi. 1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and ray supplications. 2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, there- fore will I call upon him as long as I live. 3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord ; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. 5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous ; yea, our God is merciful. 6 The Lord preserveth the simple : I was brought low, and he helped me. 7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul ; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, miue eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the liv- ing. 10 I believed, therefore have I spoken : I was greatly afflicted : 111 said in my haste, All men are liars. 12 AVhat shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me \ 13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sisrht of the Lord is the death of his saints. 16 O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy serv- ant, and the son of thine handmaid : thou hast loosed my bonds. 144 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, 19 In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Je-ru'sa-lem. Praise ye the Lord. MAY 5. The Captain of the Lord's Host. Josh, v, 10-vi, 5. 10 And the children of Is'ra-el encamped in Gil'gal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jer'i-cho. 11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the self-same day. 12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after the^ had eaten of the old corn of the land ; neither had the children of Is'ra-el manna any more ; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Ca'naan that year. 13 And it came to pass, when Josh'u-a was by Jer'i- cho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand : and Josh'u-a went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries ? 14 And he said, Nay ; bat as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Josh'u-a fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant ? 15 And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Josh'u-a, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot ; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Josh'u-a did so. 1 Now Jer'i-cho was straitly shut up because of the children of Is'ra-el : none went out and none came in. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 145 2 And the Lord said unto Josh'u-a, See, I have given into thine hand Jer'i-cho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns : and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout ; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. MAY 6. The Fall of Jericho. Josh, vi, 15-27. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and com- passed the city after the same manner seven times : only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Josh'u-a said unto the people, Shout ; for the Lord hath given you the city. 17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord : only Ra'hab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Is'ra-el a curse, and trouble it. 146 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass, and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets : and it came to pass, when the peo- ple heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. 22 But Josh'u-a had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. 23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Ra'hab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had ; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Is'ra-el. 24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein : only the silver, and the gold, and the ves- sels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 And Josh'u-a saved Ra'hab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had ; and she dwelleth in Is'ra-el eveu unto this day ; because she hid the messengers, which Josh'u-a sent to spy out Jer'i-cho. 26 And Josh'u-a adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jer'i-cho : he shall lay the foun- dation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. 27 So the Lord was with Josh'u-a ; and his fame was noised throughout all the country. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOB DAILY READING. 147 MAY 7. The Trespass of Achan. Josh, vii, 1-12. 1 But the children of Is'ra-el committed a trespass in the accursed thing : for A'chan, the son of Car'mi, the son of Zab'di, the son of Ze'rah, of the tribe of Ju'dah, took of the accursed thing : and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Is'ra-el. 2 And Josh'u-a sent men from Jer'i-cho to A'i, which is beside Beth-a'ven, on the east side of Beth'el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed A'i. 3 And they returned to Josh'u-a, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but ]et about two or three thousand men go up and smite A'i ; and make not all the people to labor thither ; for they are but few. 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men ; and they fled before the men of A'i. 5 And the men of A'i smote of them about thirty and six men : for they chased them from before the gate even unto Sheb'a-rim, and smote them in the going down : wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. 6 And Josh'u-a rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the even- tide, he and the elders of Is'ra-el, and put dust upon their heads. 7 And Josh'u-a said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jor-dan, to deliver us into the hands of the Am'o-rites, to destroy us ? would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jor'dan ! 8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Is'ra-el turneth their backs before their enemies ! 9 For the Ca'naan-ites and all the inhabitants of the 11 148 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth : and what wilt thou do unto thy great name ? 10 And the Lord said unto Josh'u-a, Get thee up ; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face ? 11 Is'ra-el hath sinned, and they have also trans- gressed my covenant which I commanded them : for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Is'ra-el could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed : neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. MAY 8. The Punishment of Achan. Josh, vii, 16-26. 16 So Josh'u-a rose up early in the morning, and brought Is'ra-el by their tribes ; and the tribe of Ju'dah was taken : 17 And he brought the family of Ju'dah ; and he took the family of the Zar'hites : and he brought the family of the Zar'hites man by man ; and Zab'di was taken : 18 And he brought his household man by man ; and A'chan, the son of Car' mi, the son of Zab'di 7 the son of Ze'rah, of the tribe of Ju'dah, was taken. 19 And Josh'u-a said unto A'chan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Is'ra-el, and make confession unto him ; and tell me now what thou hast done ; hide it not from me. 20 And A'chan answered Josh'u-a, and said, Indeed SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 149 I have sinned against the Lord God of Is'ra-el, and thus and thus have I done: 21 AVhen I saw among the spoils a goodly Bab-y- lo'nish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them ; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 22 So Josh'u-a sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent ; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Josh'u-a, and unto all the chil- dren of Is'ra-el, and laid them out before the Lord. 24 And Josh'u-a, and all Is'ra-el with him, took A'chan the son of Ze'rah, and the silver, and the gar- ment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had : and they brought them unto the valley of A'chor. 25 And Josh'u-a said, Why hast thou troubled us ? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Is'ra-el stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called. The valley of A'chor, unto this day. MAY 9. Praise Ye the Lord. Psa. cxii. 1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his com- mandments. 150 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth : the genera- tion of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his bouse : and his righteousness endureth forever. 4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the dark- ness : he is gracious, and fall of compassion, and right- eous. 5 A good man showeth favor, and lendeth : he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he shall not be moved forever: the right- eous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings : his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lokd. 8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. 9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor ; his righteousness endureth forever ; his horn shall be ex- alted with honor. 10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved ; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away : the desire of the wicked shall perish. MAY lO. Reading the Law. Josh, viii, 30-35. 30 Then Josh'u-a built an altar unto the Lord God of Is'ra-el in Mount E'bal, 31 As Mo'ses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Is'ra-el, as it is written in the book of the law of Mo'ses, an altar of whole stones, over which, no man hath lifted up any iron : and they offered there- on burnt-offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace- offerings. 32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 151 the law of Mo'ses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Is'ra-el. 33 And all Is'ra-el, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Le'vites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them ; half of them over against Mount Ger'i-zim, and half of them over against Mount E'bal ; as Mo'ses the servant of the Lord had com- manded before, that they should bless the people of Is'ra-el. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is writ- ten in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Mo'ses com- manded, which Josh'u-a read not before all the congre- gation of Is'ra-el, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them. MAY 11. Caleb's Inheritance. Josh, xiv, 6-14. 6 Then the children of Ju'dah came unto Josh'u-a in Gil'gal : and Caleb the son of Je-phun'neh the Ken'- e-zite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Mo'ses the man of God concerning me and thee in Ka'desh-bar'ne-a. 7 Forty years old was I when Mo'ses the servant of the Lord sent me from Ka'desh-bar'ne-a to espy out the land ; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt : but I wholly fol- lowed the Lord my God. 152 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 9 And Mo'ses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine in- heritance, and thy children's forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Loed my God. 10 And now, behold, the Loed hath kept me alive, a$ he said, these forty and five years, even since the Loed spake this word unto Mo'ses, while the children of Is'ra-el wandered in the wilderness : and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Mo'ses sent me : as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day ; for thou heardest in that day how the An/a-kim were there, and that the cities were great and fenced : if so be the Loed will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Loed said. 13 And Josh'u-a blessed him, and gave unto Ca'leb the son of Je-phun'neh He'bron for an inheritance. 14 He'bron therefore became the inheritance of Ca'- leb the son of Je-phun'neh the Ken'e-zite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Loed God of Is'ra-el. MAY 12. The Altar of Witness. Josh, xxii, 1-10. 1 Then Josh'u-a called the Reu'ben-ites, and the Gad'ites, and the half tribe of Ma-nas'seh, 2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Mo'ses the servant of the Loed commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you : 3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 153 unto this day, but have kept the charge of the com- mandment of the Lord your God. 4 And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now re- turn ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Mo'ses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jor'dan. 5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Mo'ses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. 6 So Josh'u-a blessed them, and sent them away : and they went unto their tents. 7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Ma-nas'seh Mo'ses had given possession in Ba'shan : but unto the other half thereof gave Josh'u-a among their brethren on this side Jor'dan westward. And when Josh'u-a sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them, 8 And he spake unto them, saying, Return with mucli riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment : divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. 9 And the children of Keu'ben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Ma-nas'seh returned, and departed from the children of Is'ra-el out of Shi'loh, which is in the land of Ca'naan, to go unto the country of Gil'e-ad, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Mo'ses. 10 And when they came unto the borders of Jor'dan, that are in the land of Ca'naan, the children of Reu'ben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Ma-nas'seh built there an altar by Jor'dan, a great altar to see to. 154 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. MAY 13. Joshua's Covenant. Josh, xxiv, 14-25. 14 Now therefore fear the Loed, and serve him in sincerity and in truth ; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in E'gypt ; and serve ye the Loed. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Loed, choose you this day whom ye will serve ; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Am'o-rites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Loed. 16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Loed, to serve other gods ; 17 For the Loed our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of E'gypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed : 18 And the Loed drave out from before us all the people, even the Am/o-rites which dwelt in the land : therefore will we also serve the Loed; for he is our God. 19 And Josh'u-a said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Loed : for he is a holy God ; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. z/0 If ye forsake the Loed, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 21 And the people said unto Josh'u-a, Nay ; but we will serve the Loed. 22 And Josh'u-a said unto the people, Ye are wit- SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 155 nesses against y ourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. 23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Is'ra-el. 24 And the people said unto Josh'u-a, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. 25 So Josh'u-a made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in She'- chein. MAY 14. We Have Heard. Psa. xliv, 1-8. 1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. 2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plan teds t them ; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. 3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them : but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them. 4 Thou art my King, O God : command deliverances for Ja'cob. 5 Through thee will we push down our enemies : through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. 8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name forever. 156 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. MAY 15. Iskael Forsaking God. Judg. ii, 6-16, 6 And when Josh'u-a had let the people go, the chil- dren of Is'ra-el went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served the Loed all the days of Josh'u-a, and all the days of the elders that outlived Josh'u-a, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did in Is'ra-el. 8 And Josh'u-a the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inherit- ance in Tim'nath-he'res, in the mount of E'phra-im, on the north side of the hill Ga'ash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers : and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Is'ra-el. 11 And the children of Is'ra-el did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Ba'al-im : 12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of E'gypt, and fol- lowed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. 13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Ba'al and Ash'ta-roth. 14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Is'ra-el, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 157 and as the Lord had sworn unto them : and they were greatly distressed. 16 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. MAY 16. The Call of Gideon. Judg. vi, 7-16. 7 And it came to pass, when the children of Is'ra-el cried unto the Lord because of the Mid'i-an-ites, 8 That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Is'ra-el, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Is'ra-el, I brought you up from E'gypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage ; 9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the E-gyp'- tians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land ; 10 And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God ; fear not the gods of the Am'o-rites, in whose land ye dwell : but ye have not obeyed my voice. 11 And there came an an^el of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Oph'rah, that pertained unto Jo'ash the Ab'i-ez'rite : and his son Gid'e-on threshed wheat by the wine-press, to hide it from the Mid'i-an-ites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. 13 And Gid'e-on said unto him, O my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us ? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from E'gypt ? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Mid'i-an-ites. 14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in 158 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. this thy might, and thou shalt save Is'ra-el from the hand of the Mid'i-an-ites : have not I sent thee ? 15 And he said unto him, O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Is'ra-el ? behold, my family is poor in Ma- nas'seh, and I am the least in my father's house. 16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Mid'i-an-ites as one man. MAY 17. Gideon's Test. Judg. vi, 34-40. 34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gid'e-on, and he blew a trumpet; and Ab'i-e'zer was gathered after him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Ma-nas'- seh ; who also was gathered after him : and he sent mes- sengers unto Ash'er, and unto Zeb'u-lun, and unto Naph'ta-li ; and they came up to meet them. 36 And Gid'e-on said unto God, If thou wilt save Is'- ra-el by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor ; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth besides, then shall I know that thou wilt save Is'ra-el by mine hand, as thou hast said. 38 And it was so : for he rose up early on the mor- row, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39 And Gid'e-on said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once : let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece ; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40 And God did so that night : for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. SCRirTUUE SELECTIONS for daily reading. 159 MAY 18. Gideon's Army. Judg. vii, 9-22. 9 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host ; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phu'- rali thy servant down to the host : 11 And thou shalt hear what they say ; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phu'rah his servant unto the outside of the aimed men that were in the host. 12 And the Mid'i-an-ites and the Am'a-lek-ites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude ; and their camels were with- out number, as the sand by the sea-side for multitude. 13 And when Gid'e-on was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Be- hold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Mid'i-an, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else, save the sword of Gid'e-on the son of Jo'ash, a man of Is'ra-el : for into his hand hath God delivered Mid'- i-an, and all the host. 15 And it was so, when Gid'e-on heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he wor- shiped, and returned into the host of Is'ra-el, and said, Arise ; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Mid'i-an. 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do like- 160 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. wise : and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gid'e-on. 19 So Gid'e-on, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the begin- ning of the middle watch ; and they had but newly set the watch : and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal : and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gid'e-on. 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp : and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth- shit'tah. in Ze-re'rath, and to the border of A'bel-me- ho'lah, unto Tab'bath. MAY 19. Truly My Soul Waiteth. Psa. lxii. 1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God : from him com- eth my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation ; he is my defense ; I shall not be greatly moved. 3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man ? ye shall be slain all of you : as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. 4 They only consult to cast him down from his SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 161 excellency : they delight in lies : they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. 5 My soul, wait thou only upon God ; for my expec- tation is from him. 6 lie only is my rock and my salvation : he is my defense ; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory : the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 8 Trust in him at all times ; ye people, pour out your heart before him : God is a refuge for us. 9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie : to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. 10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery : if riches increase, set not y x our heart upon them. 1 1 God hath spoken once ; twice have I heard this ; that power belongeth unto God. 12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work. MAY 20. The Death of Samson. Judg. xvi, 21-31. 21 But the Phil-is'tines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Ga'za, and bound him with fetters of brass ; and he did grind in the prison house. 22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. 23 Then the lords of the Phil-is'tines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Da'gon their god, and to rejoice : for they said, Our god hath deliv- ered Sam'son our enemy into our hand. 162 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god : for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. 25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Sani'son, that he may make us sport. And they called for Sam'son out of the prison house ; and he made them sport : and they set him be- tween the pillars. 26 And Sam'son said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars where- upon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 27 Now the house was full of men and women ; and all the lords of the Phil-is'tines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Sam'son made sport. 28 And Sam'son called unto the Loed, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Phil-is'tines for my two eyes. 29 And Sam'son took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30 And Sam'son said, Let me die with the Phil-is'- tines. And he bowed himself with all his might ; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. 31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zo'rah and Esh'ta-ol in the burying- place of Ma-no'ah his father. And he judged Is'ra-el twenty years. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 163 MAY 21. Naomi and Ruth. Ruth i, 14-22. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again : and Or'pah kissed her mother-in-] aw ; but Ruth clave unto her. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods : return thou after thy sister-in-law. 16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee : for whither thou goest, I will go ; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge : thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried : the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. 19 So they two went until they came to Beth'le-hem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth'le- hem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Na-o'mi ? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Na-o'mi, call me Ma'ra : for the Almighty hath dealt very bit- terly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty : why then call ye me Na-o'mi, see- ing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Al- mighty hath afflicted me ? 22 So Na-o'mi returned, and Ruth the Mo'ab-i-tess, her daughter-in-law, with her, which returned out of the country of Mo'ab : and they came to Beth'le-hem in the beginning of barley harvest 12 164 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. MAY 22. Ruth in the Field. Ruth ii, 1-12. 1 And Na-o'mi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of E-lim'e-lech ; and his name was Bo'az. 2 And Ruth the Mo'ab-i-tess said unto Na-o'mi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers : and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Bo'az, who was of the kindred of E-lim'e-lech. 4 And, behold, Bo'az came from Beth'le-hem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee. 5 Then said Bo'az unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this ? 6 And the servant that was set over the reapers an- swered and said, It is the Mo'ab-i-tish damsel that came back with Na-o'mi out of the country of Mo'ab : 7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves : so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. 8 Then said Bo'az unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter ? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them : have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee ? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. 10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 165 the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 11 And Bo'az answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full re- ward be given thee of the Lord God of Is'ra-el, under whose wings thou art come to trust. MAY 23. Hannah's Prayer. 1 Sam. i, 9-17. 9 So Han'nah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, OLord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine hand- maid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child; then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Han'nah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard : therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken ? put away thy wine from thee. 166 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 15 And Han'nah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit : I have drunk nei- ther wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Loed. 16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Be'- li-al : for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. 17 Then E'li answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Is'ra-el grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. MAY 23L. The Child Samuel. 1 Sam. i, 20-28. 20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Han'nah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Sam/u-el, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord. 21 And the man El'ka-nah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 22 But Han'nah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide forever. 23 And Erka-nah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good ; tarry until thou have weaned him ; only the Lord establish his word. So the wom- an abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shi'loh : and the child was young. 25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to E'li. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 167 26 And she said, O ray lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him : 28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord ; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshiped the Lord there. MAY 25. God's Call to Samuel. 1 Sam. iii, 1-18. 1 And the child Sarn'u-el ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days ; there was no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see ; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Sani'u-el was laid down to sleep; 4 That the Lord called Sam'u-el : and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I ; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not ; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called yet again, Sam'u-el : and Sam'u-el arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I ; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son ; lie down again. 7 Now Sam'u-el did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. 8 And the Lord called Sam'u-el a^ain the third • • -WW time. And he rose and went to Eli, and said, Here 168 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. >' - ■■!■■ — — ■ ■■■■— — ■■ ■ ■ ■ , — ■■ — ,■■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ — I ■■■■■ — - I ,— — ——■ am I ; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Sam'u-el, Go, lie down : and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Sam'u-el went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Sam'u-el, Sam'u-el. Then Sam'u-el an- swered, Speak ; for thy servant heareth. 11 And the Lord said to Sam'u-el, Behold, I will do a thing in Is'ra-el, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house : when I be- gin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. 1 5 And Sam'u-el lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Sam'u-el feared to show Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Sam'u-el, and said, Sam'u-el, my son : and he answered, Here am I. 17 And he said, What is the thing that the LOKD hath said unto thee ? I pray thee hide it not from me : God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. 18 And Sam'u-el told him every whit, and hid noth- ing from him. And he said, It is the Lord : let him do what seemeth him good. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 169 MAY 26. The Death of Eli. 1 Sam.iv, 4-18. 4 So the people sent to Shi'loh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubim : and the two sons of E'li, Hoph'ni and Phin'e-has, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Is'ra-el shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 6 And when the Phil-is'tines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the He'brews ? And they under- stood that the ark of the Lord w T as come into the camp. 7 And the Phil-is'tines were afraid ; for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us ! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 8 Woe unto us ! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods ? these are the Gods that smote the E-gyp'tians with all the plagues in the wil- derness. 9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Phil-is'tines, that ye be not servants unto the He'brews, as they have been to you : quit yourselves like men, and fi>ht. 10 And the Phil-is'tines fought, and Is'ra-el was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent : and there was a very great slaughter ; for there fell of Is'- ra-el thirty thousand footmen. 11 Aud the ark of God was taken ; and the two sons of E'li, Hoph'ni and Phin'e-has, were slain. 12 And there ran a man of Ben'ja-min out of the 170 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. 13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way-side watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. 14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult ? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. 16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son % 17 And the messenger answered and said, Is'ra-el is fled before the Phil-is' tines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hoph'ni and Phin'e-has, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. 18 And it came to pass, w^hen he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died : for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Is'ra-el forty years. MAY 27. I Said, I Will Take Heed. Psa. xxxix. 1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue : I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. 2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good ; and my sorrow was stirred. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READIXG. 171 3 My heart was hot within me ; while I was musing the fire burned : then spake I with my tongue, 4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is : that I may know how frail I am. 5 Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth ; and mine age is as nothing before thee : verily every man at bis best state is altogether vanity. 6 Surely every man walketh in a vain show : surely they are disquieted in vain : he heapeth up riches, and kuoweth not who shall gather them. 7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions : make me not the reproach of the foolish. 9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth ; because thou didst it. 10 Remove thy stroke away from me : I am con- sumed by the blow of thine hand. 11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for in- iquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth : surely every man is vanity. 1*2 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry ; hold not thy peace at my tears : for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13 spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more. MAY 28. Samuel the Judge. 1 Sam. vii, 2-13. 2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kir'- jath-je'a-rim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years : and all the house of Is'ra-el lamented after the Lord. 172 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 3 And Sam'u-el spake unto all the house of Is'ra-el, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ash'ta-roth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only : and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Phil-is'tines. 4 Then the children of Is'ra-el did put away Ba'al-im and Ash'ta-roth, and served the Lord only. 5 And Sam'u-el said, Gather all Is'ra-el to Miz'peh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord. 6 And they gathered together to Miz'peh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Sam'u-el judged the children of Is'ra-el in Miz'peh. 7 And when the Phil-is'tines heard that the children of Is'ra-el were gathered together to Miz'peh, the lords of the Phil-is'tines went up against Is'ra-el. And when the children of Is'ra-el heard it, they were afraid of the Phil-is'tines. 8 And the children of Is'ra-el said to Sam'u-el, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he w T ill save us out of the hand of the Phil-is'tines. 9 And Sam'u-el took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord : and Sam'- u-el cried unto the Lord for Is'ra-el ; and the Lord heard him. 10 And as Sam'u-el was offering up the burnt-offer- ing, the Phil-is'tines drew near to battle against Is'ra-el : but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Phil-is'tines, and discomfited them ; and they were smitten before Is'ra-el. 11 And the men of Is'ra-el went out of Miz'peh, and pursued the Phil-is'tines, and smote them, until they came under Beth'car. 12 Then Sam'u-el took a stone, and set it between SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR BAIL T READING. 1 73 Miz'peh and Shen, and called the name of it Eb-en-e'zer r saying. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. 13 So the Phil-is'tines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Is'ra-el : and the hand of the Lord was against the Phil-is'tines all the days of Sani'u-el. MAY 29. Asking for a King. 1 Sam. viii, 4-20. 4 Then all the elders of Is'ra-el gathered themselves together, and came to Sam'u-el unto Ra'mah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways : now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing displeased Sam'u-el, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Sain'u-el prayed unto the Lord. 7 And the Lord said unto Sam'u-el, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee : for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of E'gypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice : howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. 10 And Sani'u-el told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. 11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you : He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen ; and some shall run before his chariots. 174 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties ; and will set them to ear his. ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instru- ments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 13 And he will take your daughters to be confection- aries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his serv- ants. 16 And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you ; and the Lord wall not hear you in that day. 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Sam/u-el ; and they said, Nay ; but we wall have a king over us ; 20 That we also may be like all the nations ; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. MAY 30. Samuel Anointinq Saul. 1 Sam. ix, 15-x, 1. 15 Now the Lord had told Sam'u-el in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, 16 To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Ben'ja-min, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Is'ra-el, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Phil-is'tines : for I SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 175 have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. 17 And when Sam'u-el saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. 18 Then Saul drew near to Sam'u-el in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. 19 And Sam'u-el answered Saul, and said, I am the seer : go up before me unto the high place ; for ye shall eat with me to-day, and to-morrow I will let thee go, and I will tell thee all that is in thine heart. 20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them ; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Is'ra-el? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house ? 21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Ben'ja- mite, of the smallest of the tribes of Is'ra-el ? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Ben- ja-min ? wherefore then speakest thou so to me ? 22 And Sam'u-el took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. 23 And Sam'u-el said unto the cook, Bring the por- tion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. 24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Sam'- u-el said, Behold that which is left ! set it before thee, and eat : for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Sam'u-el that day. 25 And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Sam'u-el communed with Saul upon the top of the house. 26 And they arose early : and it came to pass about 176 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. the spring of the day, that Sam'u-el called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Sam'u-el, abroad. 27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Sam'u-el said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on be- fore us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God. 1 Then Sam'u-el took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his in- heritance ? MAY 31. Samuel's Farewell Words. 1 Sam. xii, 1-15. 1 Aistd Sam'u-el said unto all Is'ra-el, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you : and I am old and gray-headed ; and, behold, my sons are with you : and I have walked before you from my child- hood unto this day. 8 Behold, here I am : witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed : whose ox have I taken ? or whose ass have I taken ? or whom have I defrauded ? whom have I oppressed ? or of whose hand have I re- ceived any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith ? and I will restore it you. 4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor op- pressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand. 5 And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 177 6 And Sam'u-el said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Mo'ses and Aa'ron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of E'gypt. 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers. 8 When Ja'cob was come into E'gypt, and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Mo'ses and Aa'ron, which brought forth your fathers out of E'gypt, and made them dwell in this place. 9 And when they forgat the Lord their God, he sold them into the hand of Sis'e-ra, captain of the host of Ha'zor, and into the hand of the Phil-is'tines, and into the hand of the king of Mo'ab, and they fought against them. 10 Aed they cried unto the Lord, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Ba'a-lim and Ash'ta-roth : but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and Ave will serve thee. 11 And the Lord sent Je-rub'ba-al, and Be'dan, and Jeph'thah, and Sam'u-el, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt safe. 12 And when ye saw that Na'hash the king of the children of Am'mon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay ; but a king shall reign over us : when the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired ! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you. 14 If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord ; then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God : 15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord ; then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers. 178 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JUNK 1. The Canaanite Woman. Mark vii, 24-30. 24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Si'don, and entered into a house, and would have no man know it : but he could not be hid. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Sy-ro-phe-nic'i-an by nation ; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 But Je'sus said unto her, Let the children first be filled : for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord : yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way ; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil goue out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. JUNK 2. The Miracle in Decapolis. Mark vii, 31-37. 31 Akd again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Si'don, he came unto the sea of GaH-lee, through the midst of the coasts of De-cap'o-lis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 179 had an impediment in his speech ; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit and touched his tongue ; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Eph'pha-tha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36 And he charged them that they should tell no man : but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it ; 37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. JUNK 3. Feeding the Four Thousand. Mark viii, 1-10. 1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Je'sus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat : 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the w T ay : for divers of them came from far. 4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilder- ness ? 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye \ And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the 13 180 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. ground : and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them ; and they did set them before the people. 7 And they had a few small fishes : and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So they did eat, and were filled : and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thou- sand : and he sent them away. 10 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dal-ma-nu'tha. JUNK A. Peter's Confession. Matt, xvi, 13-26. 13 When Je'sus came into the coasts of Ces-a-re'a Phil-ip'pi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am ? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, E-li'as; and others, Jer-e-mi'as, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Si'mon Pe'ter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Je'sus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Si'mon Bar-jo'na : for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Pe'ter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the king- dom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 181 earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Je'sus the Christ. 21 From that time forth becran Je'sus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Je-ru'sa-lem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Pe'ter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Pe'ter, Get thee be- hind me, Sa'tan : thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24 Then said Je'sus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it : and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? JUNK 5. The Transfiguration. Matt, xvii, 1-13. 1 And after six days Je'sus taketh Pe'ter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them : and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 182 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Mo'ses and E-li'as talking with him. 4 Then answered Pe'ter, and said unto Je'sus, Lord, it is good for us to he here : if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Mo'- ses, and one for E-li'as. 5 While he spake, behold, a bright cloud overshad- owed them : and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Je'sus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Je'sus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Je'sus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that E-li'as must first come ? 11 And Je'sus answered and said unto them, E-li'as truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That E-li'as is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him what- soever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. JUNK 6. The Child in the Midst. Matt, xviii, 1-10. 1 At the same time came the disciples unto Je'sus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven \ SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 183 2 And Je'sus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receive th me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a mill- stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh ! 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee : it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee : it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones ; for I say unto you, That in heaven their augels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. JUNK 7. The Unmerciful Servant. Matt, xviii, 21-35. 21 Then came Pe'ter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him ? till seven times? 184 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 22 Je'sus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times : but, Until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord com- manded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him a hundred pence : and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me : 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee \ 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormenters, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 185 june: 8. The Ten Lepers. Luke xvii, 11-19. 11 And it came to pass, as he went to Je-ru'sa-lem,that he passed through the midst of Sa-ma'ri-a and Gal'i-lee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Je'sus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks : and he was a Sa-mar'i-tan. 17 And Je'sus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine ? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way : thy faith hath made thee whole. JUNK 9. Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles. John vii, 1-17. 1 After these things Jesus walked in Gal'i-lee : for he would not walk in Jew'ry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Ju-de'a, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, 186 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6 Then Je'sus said unto them, My time is not yet come : but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you ; but me it hateth, be- cause I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast ; for my time is not yet full come. 9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Gal'i-lee. 10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11-Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he ? 12 And there was much murmuring among the peo- ple concerning him : for some said, He is a good man : others said, Nay ; but he deceiveth the people. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. 14 Now about the midst of the feast Je'sus went up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned ? 16 Je'sus answered them, aod said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. JUISTB lO. The Water of Life. John vii, 37-52. 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Je'sus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 187 38 He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, ottt of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 But this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given ; because that Je'sus was not yet glorified. 40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Gal'i-lee ? 42 Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of Da'vid, and out of the town of Beth'le- hem, where Da'vid was ? 43 So there was a division among the people because of him. 44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. 45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Phar'i-sees ; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him ? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47 Then answered them the Phar'i-sees, Are ye also deceived ? 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Phar'i-sees be- lieved on him ? 49 But this people who knoweth not the laws are cursed. 50 Nic-o-de'mus saith unto them, (he that came to Je'sus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth % 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Gal'i-lee ? Search, and look ; for out of Gal'i-lee ariseth no prophet. 188 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JUNE 11. Fkeedom and Bondage. John viii, 31-42. 31 Then said Je'sus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be A 'bra-ham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man : how say est thou, Ye shall be made free ? 34 Je'sus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the bouse for- ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 37 1 know that ye are A'bra-ham's seed ;. but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, A'bra-ham is our father. Je'sus saith unto them, If ye were A'bra- ham's children, ye would do the works of A'bra-ham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God : this did not A'bra-ham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication ; we have one Father, even God. 42 Je'sus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me; for I proceeded forth and came from God ; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 189 june: 12. The Blind Man Healed. John ix, 1-11. 1 And as Je'sus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind ? 3 Je'sus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents : but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day : the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As lcng as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Sil'- o-am, which is by interpretation, Sent. He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. 8 The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged ? 9 Some said, This is he : others said, He is like him : but he said, I am he. 10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened ? 11 He answered and said, A man that is called Je'- sus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Sil'o-am, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. 190 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JUNK 13. The Healed Man's Confession. John ix, 24-38. 24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said nnto him, Give God the praise : we know that this man is a sinner. 25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not : one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. 26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee ? how opened he thine eyes ? 27 He answered them, I have told yon already, and ye did not hear : wherefore would ye hear it again ? will ye also be his disciples ? 28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his dis- ciple ; but we are Mo'ses 7 disciples. 29 We know that God spake unto Mo'ses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. 30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners : but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast al- together born in sins, and dost thou teach us ? And they cast him out. 35 Je'sus heard that they had cast him out ; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God ? 36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him ? SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 191 37 And Je'sus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he wor- shiped hirn. JUNE: 14. The Good Shepherd. John x, 1-16. 1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shep- herd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice : and he calleth his own sheep by name, and lead- eth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he go- eth before them, and the sheep follow him ; for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him ; for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Je'sus unto them ; but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7 Then said Je'sus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and rob- bers : but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy : I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giv- eth his life for the sheep. 192 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth tbem, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 1 am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Fatber: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice ; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. JUNE 15. Lazarus Raised from the Dead. John xi, 32-44. 32 Then when Ma'ry was come where Je'sus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Je'sus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him ? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Je'sus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him. 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died ? 38 Je'sus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Je'sus said, Take ye away the stone. Mar' t ha, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 193 the sister of him that was dead, saitli unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh : for he hath been dead four days. 40 Je'sus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God ? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Je'sus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always : but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Laz'a-rus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with, grave-clothes ; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Je'sus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. JUNE 16. The Good Samaritan. Luke x, 25-37. 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law ? how read est thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind ; and thy neighbor as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right : this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Je'sus, And who is my neighbor? 104 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 30 And Je'sus answering said, A certain man went down from Je-ru'sa-lern to Jer'i-cho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way ; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a LeVite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Sa-mar'i-tan, as he journeyed, came where he was ; and when he saw him, he had compas- sion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him : and whatsoever thou spend- est more, when I come again, I will repay thee. • 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves ? 37 And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Je'sus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. JUNE 17. Confession of Christ. Luke xii, 1-9. 1 In the meantime, when there were gathered to- gether an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Phar'i-sees, which is hypocrisy. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 195 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be re- vealed ; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light ; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear : Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God ? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all num- bered. Fear not therefore : ye are of more value than many sparrows. 8 Also I say nnto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess be- fore the angels of God : 9 But he that denieth me before men shall be de- nied before the angels of God. o JUNK IS. Warning Against Covetousness. Luke xii, 13-21. 13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you ? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness : for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 14 196 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully : 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits ? 18 And he said, This will I do : I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee : then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided ? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. JUNK 19. The Great Supper. Luke xiv, 15-24. 15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper-time to say to them that were bidden, Come ; for all things are now ready 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it : I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR BAIL T READING. 197 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. JUNE^ 20. Counting the Cost. Luke xiv, 25-35. 25 And there went great multitudes with him : and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my dis- ciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For w r hich of you, intending to build a tower, sit- teth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it ? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 198 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 31 Or what king, going to make war against an- other king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand ? 32 Or else, while the other is. yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsak- eth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good : but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned ? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dung- hill ; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. JUNE 21. Lost and Found. Luke xv, 1-10. 1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Phar'i-sees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it ? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me ; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 199 8 Either what wonian having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it ? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me ; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the pres- ence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. JUNE: 22. The Prodigal Son. Luke xv, 11-24. 11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Fa- ther, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gath- ered all together, and took his journey into a far coun- try, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land ; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country ; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat : and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger ! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, . 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of thy hired servants. 200 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 20 And lie arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet : 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry : 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. JUNK 23. The Rich Man and Lazarus. Luke xvi, 19-31. 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Laz'a-rus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table : moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into A'bra-ham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried ; 23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in tor- ments, and seeth A' bra-ham afar off, and Laz'a-rus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father A'bra-ham, have mercy on me, and send Laz'a-rus, that he may dip the SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 201 tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But A'bra-ham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Laz'a-rus evil things: but now lie is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed : so that they which w r ould pass from hence to you cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house : 28 For I have five brethren ; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of tor- ment. 29 A'bra-ham saith unto him, They have Mo'ses and the prophets ; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father A'bra-ham : but if one w^ent unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Mo'ses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. JUNK 24. Parables Concerning Prayer. Luke xviii, 1-14. 1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint ; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, w r hich feared not God, neither regarded man : 3 And there was a widow in that city ; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while : but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man: 202 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them '( 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others : 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray ; the one a Phar'i-see, and, the other a publican. 11 The Phar'i-see stood and prayed thus wnth him- self, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man w^ent down to his house justi- fied rather than the other : for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. JUNK 25. Jesus and the Young. Luke xviii, 15-30. 15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them : but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 203 16 But Je'sus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not : for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not re- ceive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. 18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Mas- ter, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ? 19 And Je'sus said unto him, Why callest thou me good ? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not com- mit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother. 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now r when Je'sus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing : sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treas- ure in heaven : and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful : for he was very rich. 24 And when Je'sus saw that he was very sorrow- ful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God ! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a nee- dle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the king- dom of God. 26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved ? 27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible w 7 ith God. 28 Then Pe'ter said, Lo, we have left all, and fol- lowed thee. 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or 204 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, 30 WTio shall not receive manifold more in this pres- ent time, and in the world to come life everlasting. JUXK 26. The Laborees in the Vineyaed. Matt, xx, 1-16. 1 Foe the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, 4 And said unto them ; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Aeain he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, "Why stand ye here all the day idle ? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard ; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more ; and they likewise received every man a penny. RTPTURE 8SLBCTWWB FOR DAILY READ1XG. 11 And when they had received it. they murmured against the good man of the hou- 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend. I do thee no wrong : didst not thou a^ree with me for a o O penny \ 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way : I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own \ Is thine eye evil, because I am good ! 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. JTLTXE 2 7. The Ambitious Disciples. Matt, xx, 17-2S. 17 Ann Jesus going up to Je-rusa-lem took the twelve disciples apart in the way. and said unto them, 18 Behold, we go up to Je-ru sa-lein ; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gen tiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him : and the third day he shall rise again. 20 Then came to him the mother of Zeb'e-dee's chil- dren with her sons, worshiping him. and desiring a cer- tain thin^ of him. 21 And he said unto her. What wilt thou ? She saith unto him. Grant that these my two Bona may - the one on thv riirht hand, aud the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what 206 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with ? They say unto him, We are able. 23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with : but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father. 24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25 But Je'sus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gen'tiles exercise domin- ion over them, and they that are great exercise author- ity upon them. 26 But it shall not be among you : but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant : 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. JUNE 28. Blind Bartimeus* Mark x, 46-52. 46 And they came to Jer'i-cho : and as he went out of Jer'i-cho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bar-ti-me'us, the son of Ti-me'us, sat by the highway side begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Je'sus of Naz'a- reth, he began to cry out, and say, Je'sus, thou Son of Da'vid, have mercy on me. 48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace : but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of Da'vid, have mercy on me. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 207 49 And Je'sus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise ; he calleth thee. 50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Je'sus. 51 And Je'sus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee ? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Je'sus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Je'sus in the way. JUNK 29. Zaccheus the Publican. Luke xix, 1-10. 1 Axd Je'sus entered and passed through Jer'i-cho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zac-che'us, wdiich was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Je'sus who he was ; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed np into a sycamore tree to see him ; for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Je'sus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zac-che'us, make haste, and come down ; for to-day I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 .And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sin- ner. 8 And Zac-che'us stood, and said unto the Lord ; Be- hold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor ; 208 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Je'sus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of A' bra-ham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. JUNE 30. Paeable of the Pounds. Luke xix, 11-28. 11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Je-ru'sa-lem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain noble man went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant : because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained live pounds. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 209 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin : 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow. 23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury ? 24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given ; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them be- fore me. 28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Je-ru'sa-lem. 210 SCBIPTUltE SELECTIONS FOB DAILY READING. JULY 1. Saul Rejected. 1 Sam. xv, 10-23. 10 Then came the word of the Lord unto Sain'u-el, saying, 11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king : for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Sam'u-el ; and he cried unto the Lord all night. 12 And when Sam'u-el rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Sam'u-el, saying, Saul came to Car'mel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gil'gal. 13 And Sam'u-el came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord : I have performed the commandment of the Lord. 14 And Sam'u-el said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear ? 15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Am'a-lek-ites : for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God ; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 16 Then Sam'u-el said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. 17 And Sam'u-el said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, w r ast thou not made the head of the tribes of Is'ra-el, and the Lord anointed thee king over Is'ra-el ? 18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Am'a-lek-ites, and fight against them until they be consumed. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 211 19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord ? 20 And Saul said unto Sam'u-el, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought A 'gag the king of Am'a-lek, and have utterly destroyed the Am'a- lek-ites. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gil'gal. 22 And Sam'u-el said, Hath the Lord as great de- light in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey is better than sac- rifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also re- jected thee from being king. JULY 2. David Anointed. 1 Sam. xvi, 1-13. 1 And the Lord said unto Sam'u-el, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Is'ra-el ? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jes'se the Beth'le-hern-ite : for I have provided me a king among his sons. 2 And Sam'u-el said, How can I go ? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3 And call Jes'se to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do : and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. 15 212 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 4 And Saro/u-el did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth'le-hem. And the elders of the town trem- bled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5 And he said, Peaceably : I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord : sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jes'se and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on E-li'ab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. 7 But the Lord said unto Sam'u-el, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature ; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth : for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 8 Then Jes'se called A-bin'a-dab, and made him pass before Sam'u-el. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 9 Then Jes'se made Sham'mah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 10 Again, Jes'se made seven of his sons to pass be- fore Sam'u-el. And Sam'u-el said unto Jes'se, The Lord hath not chosen these. 11 And Sam'u-el said unto Jes'se, Are here all thy children ? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Sam'u-el said unto Jes'se, Send and fetch him : for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him : for this is he. 13 Then Sam'u-el took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren : and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Da'vid from that day forward. So Sam'u-el rose up, and went to Ka'mah. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 213 JULY 3. The Lord is My Shepherd. Psa. xxiii. 1 The Lord is my shepherd ; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures : he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul : he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : for thou art with me ; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies : thou anointest my head with oil ; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life : and I will dwell in the hou^e of the Lord forever. JULY 4. God Be Merciful unto Us. Psa. lxvii. 1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us ; and cause his face to shine upon us ; 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy sav- ing health among all nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God ; let all the peo- ple praise thee. 214 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase ; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us ; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. JULY 5. David and Goliath. 1 Sam. xvii, 38-51. » 38 And Saul armed Da'vid with his armor, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 39 And Da'vid girded his sword upon his armor, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And Da'vid said unto Saul, I cannot go with these ; for I have not proved them. And Da'vid put them off him. 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip ; and his sling was in his hand : and he drew near to the Phil- is'tine. 41 And the Phil-is'tine came on and drew near unto DaVid ; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42 And when the Phil-is'tine looked about, and saw Da'vid, he disdained him : for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43 And the Phil-is'tine said unto Da'vid, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves ? And the Phil-is'tine cursed Da'vid by his gods. 44 And the Phil-is'tine said to Da'vid, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said Da'vid to the Phil-is'tine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 215 but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Is'ra-el, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand ; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee ; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Phil-is'tines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth ; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Is'ra-el. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. 48 And it came to pass, when the Phil-is'tine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet Da'vid, that Da'vid hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Phil-is'tine. 49 And Da'vid put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Phil-is'tine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead ; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So Da'vid prevailed over the Phil-is'tine with a sling and with a stone, aud smote the Phil-is'tine, and slew him ; but there was no sword in the hand of Da'vid. 51 Therefore Da'vid ran, and stood upon the Phil- is'tine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Phil-is'tines saw their champion was dead, they fled. JULY 6. Saul, Jonathan, and David. 1 Sam. xviii, 1-12. 1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jon'a-than was knit with the soul of Da'vid, and Jon'a-than loved him as his own soul. 216 SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING, 2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. 3 Then Jon'a-than and Da'vid made a covenant, be- cause he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jon'a-than stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to Da'vid, and his gar- ments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. 5 And Da'vid went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely : and Saul set him over the men of war, and he w r as accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. 6 And it came to pass as they came, when Da'vid was returned from the slaughter of the Phil-is'tine, that the women came out of all the cities of Is'ra^el, sing- ing and dancing, to meet king Saul, wdth tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and Da'vid his ten thousands. 8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him ; and he said, They have ascribed unto Da'vid ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands : and what can he have more but the kingdom ? 9 And Saul eyed Da'vid from that day and forward. 10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil- spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house : and Da'vid played with his hand, as at other times : and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. 11 And Saul cast the javelin : for he said, I will smite Da'vid even to the wall with it. And Da'vid avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of Da'vid, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 217 JULY 7. I Will Bless the Lord. Psa. xxxiv. 1 I will bless the Lord at all times : his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord : the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked unto him, and w^re lightened : and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good : blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints : for there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger : but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. 11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me : I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good ? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14 Depart from evil, and do good ; seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 218 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 17 The righteous ciy, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. 20 He keepeth all his bones : not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked : and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. 22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants : and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. JULY 8. David Sparing Saul. 1 Sam. xxiv, 2-16. 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Is'ra-el, and went to seek Da'vid and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3 And he came to the sheep-cotes by the way, where was a cave ; and Saul went in to cover his feet : and Da'vid and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 4 And the men of Da'vid said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then Da'- vid arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that Da'vid's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, the Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. 7 So Da'vid stayed his servants with these words, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 219 and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8 Da'vid also rose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, Da'vid stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. 9 And Da'vid said to Saul, wherefore nearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, Da'vid seeketh thy hurt ? 10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave : and some bade me kill thee : but mine eye spared thee : and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord ; for he is the Lord's anointed. 11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand : for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee ; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. 12 The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee : but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked : but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 14 After whom is the kins: of Is'ra-el come out? after whom dost thou pursue ? after a dead dog, after a flea. 15 The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. 16 And it came to pass, when Da'vid had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son Da'vid ? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. 220 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JULY 9. David King over All Israel. 2 Sam. v, 1-12. 1 Then came all the tribes of Is'ra-el to Da'vid unto He'bron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Is'- ra-el : and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Is'ra-el, and thou shalt be a captain over Is'ra-el. 3 So all the elders of Is'ra-el came to the king to He'bron ; and king Da'vid made a league with them in He'bron before the Loud : and they anointed Da'vid king over Is'ra-el. 4 Da'vid was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 In He'bron he reigned over Ju'dah seven years and six months: and in Je-ru'sa-lem he reigned. thirty and three years over all Is'ra-el and Ju'dah. 6 And the king and his men went to Je-ru'sa-lem unto the Jeb'u-sites, the inhabitants of the land : which spake unto Da'vid, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, Da'vid cannot come in hither. 7 Nevertheless, Da'vid took the strong hold of Zi'on : the same is the city of Da'vid. * 8 And Da'vid said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jeb'u-sites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of Da'vid's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. 9 So Da'vid dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of Da'vid. And Da'vid built round about from Mil'lo and inward. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 221 10 And Da'vid went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. 11 And Hi'rarn king of Tyre sent messengers to Da'vid, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built Da'vid a house. 12 And Da'vid perceived that the Lord had estab- lished him king over Is'ra-el, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Is'ra-el's sake. JULY lO. The Ark Brought to Zion. 2 Sam. vi, 1-12. 1 Again, Da'vid gathered together all the chosen men of Is'ra-el, thirty thousand. 2 And Da'vid arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Ba'al-e of Ju'dah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwrlleth between the cherubim. 3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of A-biu'a-dab that was in Gib'e-ah : and LVzah and A-hi'o, the sons of A-bin'a- dab, drave the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of A-bin'a- dab which w T as at Gib'e-ah, accompanying the ark of God: and A-hi'o went before the ark. 5 And Da'vid and all the house of Is'ra-el played be- fore the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. 6 And when they came to Na'chon's threshing-floor, Uz'zah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it ; for the oxen shook it. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled Against 222 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. Uz'zah, and God smote him there for his error ; and there he died by the ark of, God. 8 And Da'vid was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uz'zah : and he called the name of the place Pe'rez-uz'zah to this day. 9 And Da'vid was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me ? 10 So Da'vid would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of Da'vid : but Da'vid carried it aside into the house of O'bed-e'dom the Git'tite. 11 And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of O'bed-e'dom the Git'tite three months : and the Lord blessed O'bed-e'dom, and all his household. 12 And it was told king Da'vid, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of O'bed-e'dom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So Da'vid went and brought up the ark of God from the house of O'bed-e'dom into the city of Da'vid with gladness. JULY 11. The Earth is the Lord's. Psa. xxiv. 1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof ; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and estab- lished it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? or who shall stand in his holy place ? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart ; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn de- ceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 223 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Ja'cob. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors ; and the king of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory ? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; even lift them up,, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory ? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. JULY 12. David's Purpose to Build the Temple. 2 Sam. vii, 1-11. 1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies ; 2 That the king said unto Na'than the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. 3 And Na'than said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart ; for the Lord is with thee. 4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Na'than, saying, 5 Go and tell my servant Da'vid, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in? 6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Is'ra-el out of E'gypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Is'ra-el spake I a word with any of the 224 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. tribes of Is'ra-el, whom I commanded to feed my peo- ple Is'ra-el, saying, Why build ye not me a house of cedar ? 8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant Da'vid, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheep-cote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Is'ra-el : 9 And I was with thee withersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, ]ike unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Is'ra-el, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more ; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, 11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Is'ra-el, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee a house. JULY 13. David's Thanksgiving Prayer. 2 Sam. vii, 18-29. 18 Then went king Da'vid in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God ? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto % 19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God ; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the man- ner of man, O Lord God ? 20 And what can Da'vid say more unto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. 21 For thy word's sake, and according to thine own SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 225 heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. 22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God : for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Is'ra-el, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, be- fore thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from E'gypt, from the nations and their gods? 24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Is'ra-el to be a people unto thee forever : and thou, Lord, art become their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as thou hast said. 26 And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God over Is'ra-el : and let the house of thy servant Da'vid be established before thee. 27 For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Is'ra-el, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house : therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. 28 And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this good- ness unto thy servant: 29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee : for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it : and witli thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever. 226 SORIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JULY 14. Have Mercy upon Me. Psa. li. 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness : according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions : and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil iu thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity ; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean : wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness ; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God ; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ; and uphold me with thy free Spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation : and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 227 15 Lord, open thou my lips ; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice ; else would I give it: thou deli^litest not in burnt-offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit : a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zi'on : build thou the walls of Je-ru'sa-lem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt-offering and whole burnt- offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. JULY 15. Blessed is He. Psa. xxxii. 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 3 When I kept silence, ray bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniq- uity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my trans- gressions unto the Lord ; and thou forgavest the iniq- uity of my sin. 6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found : surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. 7 Thou art my hiding-place ; thou shalt preserve me from trouble ; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. 10 228 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READINC. 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go : I will guide thee with mine eye. 9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding : whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. JULY 16. David's Grief for Absalom. 2 Sam. xviii, 19-33. 19 Then said A-him'a-az the son of Za'dok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the Lord hath avenged him of his enemies. 20 And Jo'ab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day : but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead. 21 Then said Jo'ab to Cu'shi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cu'shi bowed himself unto Jo'ab, and ran. 22 Then said A-him'a-az the son of Za'dok yet again to Jo'ab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cu'shi. And Jo'ab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready ? 23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then A-him'a-az ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cu'shi. 24 And Da'vid sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 229 wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. 25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. 26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Be- hold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. # 27 And the watchman said, Methinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of A-him'a-az the son of Za'dok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. 28 And A-him'a-az called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. 29 And the king said, Is the young man Ab'sa-lom safe ? And A-him'a-az answered, When Jo'ab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. 30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. 31 And, behold, Cu'shi came ; and Cu'shi said, Tid- ings, my lord the king: for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 32 And the king said unto Cu'shi, Is the young man Ab'sa-lom safe? And Cu'shi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. 33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Ab'sa-lom, my son, my son Ab'- sa-lom ! would God I had died for thee, O Ab'sa-lom, my son, my son ! 230 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. JULY 17. David's Charge to Solomon. 1 Cliron. xxviii, 1-10. 1 And Da'vid assembled all the princes of Is'ra-el, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the com- panies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hun- dreds, • and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Je-ru'sa-lem. 2 Then Da'vid the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people : As for me, T had in mine heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building : 3 But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build a house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. 4 Howbeit the Lord God of Is'ra-el chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Is'ra-el for- ever: for he hath chosen Ju'dah to be the ruler ; and of the house of Ju'dah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Is'ra-el : 5 And of all nry sons, (for the Lord hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Sol'o-mon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Is'ra-el. 6 And he said unto me, Sol'o-mon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts : for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judg- ments, as at this day. 8 Now therefore, in the sight of all Is'ra-el the con- SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 231 gregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God : that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for- ever. 9 And thou, Sol'o-mon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind : for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever. 10 Take heed now ; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary : be strong, and do it. JULY 18. Solomon's Choice. 1 Kings iii, 5-15. 5 In Gib'e-on the Loud appeared to Soro-mon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Sol'o-mon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant Da'vid my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee ; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of Da'vid my father : and I am but a little child : I know not how to go out or conie in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart 232 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people ? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Sol'o-mon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life ; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies ; but hast asked for thyself under- standing to discern judgment ; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart ; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor : so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father Da'vid did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. 15 And Sol'o-mon awoke ; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Je-ru'sa-lem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. JULY 19. Building the Temple. 1 Kings vi, 1-14. 1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Is'ra-el were come out of the land of E'gypt, in the fourth year of Sol'o- mon's reign over Is'ra-el, in the month Zif, which is SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 233 the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord. 2 And the house which king Sol'o-nion built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. 3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according- to the breadth of the house ; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. 4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights. And against the wall of the house he built cham- bers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle : and he made chambers round about. 6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad : for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the Avails of the house. 7 And the house, when it was in the building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither : so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house : and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. 9 So he built the house, and finished it ; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. 10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high : and they rested on the house with timbers of cedar. 11 And the word of the Lord came to Sol'o-mon, saying, 234 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judg- ments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them ; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto Da'vid thy father : 13 And I will dwell among the children of Is'ra-el, and will not forsake my people Is'ra-el. 14 So Soro-mon built the house, and finished it. JULY 20. The Dedication of the Temple. 1 Kings viii, 1-13. 1 Then Soro-mon assembled the elders of Is'ra-el, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Is'ra-el, unto king Soro-mon in Je-ru'- sa-lem, that they might bring up the ark of the cove- nant of the Lord out of the city of Da'vid, which is Zi'on. 2 And all the men of Is'ra-el assembled themselves unto king Sol'o-mon at the feast in the month Eth'a- nim, which is the seventh month. 3 And all the elders of Is'ra-el came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of the Loud, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and Le'vites bring up. 5 And king Sol'o-mon, and all the congregation of Is'ra-el, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude. 6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Loud unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the w 7 ings of the cherubim. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 235 7 For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without : and there they are unto this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Mo'ses put there at Ho'reb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Is'ra-el, when they came out of the land of E'gypt. 10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 So the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud : for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord. 12 Then spake Sol'o-mon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 13 1 have surely built thee a house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in forever. JULY 21. Solomon's Prayer. 1 Kings viii, 22-30. 22 And Sol'o-mon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Is'ra-el, and spread forth his hands toward heaven : 23 And he said, Lord God of Is'ra-el, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart : 24 Who hast kept with thy servant Da'vid my father that thou promisedst him : thou spakest also with 236 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 25 Therefore now, Lord God of Is'ra-el, keep with thy servant Da'vid my father that thou proniisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Is'ra-el ; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. 26 And now, O God of Is'ra-el, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant Da'vid my father. 27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee ; how much less this house that I have buildecl ? 28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy serv- ant prayeth before thee to-clay : 29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there : that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. 30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy serv- ant, and of thy people Is'ra-el, when they shah pray toward this place : and hear thou in heaven thy dwell- ing-place, and when thou hearest forgive. JULY 22. Solomon Blessing the People. 1 Kings viii, 54-63. 54 And it was so, that w T hen Sol'o-mon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 237 53 And lie stood, and blessed all the congregation of Is'ra-el with a loud voice, saying, 56 Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Is'ra-el, according to all that he promised : there bath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Mo'ses his servant. 57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers : let him not leave us, nor forsake us : 58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers. 59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Is'ra-el at all times, as the matter shall require: 60 That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else. 61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his com- mandments, as at this day. 62 And the king, and all Is'ra-el with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord. 63 And Sol'o-mon offered a sacrifice of peace-offer- ings, which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Is'ra-el ded- icated the house of the Lord. JULY 23. God's Promise and Warning to Solomon. 1 Kings ix, 1-9. 1 And it came to pass, when Sol'o-nion had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king's 238 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. house, and all Sol'o-rnon's desire which he was pleased to do, 2 That the Lord appeared to Soro-mon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gib'e-on. 3 And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made be- fore me : I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there forever ; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. 4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as Da'vid thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments ; 5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Is'ra-el forever, as I promised to Da'vid thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Is'ra-el. 6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them ; 7 Then will I cut off Is'ra-el out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hal- lowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Is'ra-el shall be a proverb and a by-word among all people : 8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss ; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house ? 9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of E'gypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshiped them, and served them : therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil. SCRTPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. 239 JULY 24. The Visit of the Queen of Sheba. 1 Kings x, 1-13. 1 And when the queen of She'ba heard of the fame of Sol'o-mon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. 2 And she came to Je-ru'sa-lem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones : and when she was come to Sol'o- rnon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 3 And Sol'o-mon told her all her questions : there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. 4 And when the queen of She'ba had seen all Sol'o- inon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, 5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord ; there was no more spirit in her. 6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard iu mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it ; and, behold, the half was not told me : thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard, 8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Is'ra-el: because the Lord loved Is'ra-el forever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. 240 SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. 10 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and pre- cious stones : there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of She'ba gave to king Sol'o-mon. 11 And the navy also of Hi'ram, that brought gold from O'phir, brought in from O'phir great plenty of al mug-trees, and precious stones. 12 And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers : there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen unto this day. 13 And king Sol'o-mon gave unto the queen of She'ba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Sol'o-mon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. JULY 25. Give the King thy Judgments. Psa. lxxii. 1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. 2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear thee as long* as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. 6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass : as showers that water the earth. 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 241 8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him ; and his enemies shall lick the dust. 10 The kings of Tar'shish and of the isles shall bring presents : the kings of She'ba and Se'ba shall offer gifts. 1 1 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him : all nations shall serve him. 12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth ; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence : and precious shall their blood be in his sisrht. 15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of She'ba : prayer also shall be made for him continually ; and daily shall he be praised. 16 There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains ; the fruit thereof shall shake like Leb'a-non : and they of the city shall nourish like grass of the earth. 17, His name shall endure forever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun : and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. 18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Is'ra-el, who only doeth wondrous things. 19 And blessed be his glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen. 20 The prayers of Da'vid the son of Jes'se are ended. 242 SCULPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. JULY 26. The Way of Wisdom. Prov. i, 7-19. 7 The fear of the Lokd is the beginning of knowl- edge : but fools despise wisdom and. instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and for- sake not the law of thy mother : 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause : 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, % as those that go down into the pit : 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil : 14 Cast in thy lot among us ; let us all have one purse : 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them ; refrain thy foot from their path : 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood ; they* lurk privily for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain ; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. JULY 27. The Prosperity of Wisdom. Prov. iii, 1-10. 1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep ray commandments : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 243 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee : bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart : 4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart ; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes : fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase : 10 So shall thy barns be filled' with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. JULY 28. The Value of Wisdom. Prov. iii, 11-22. 11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction : 12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth ; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding : 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the mer- chandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies : and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 17 244 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her : and happy is every one that retaineth her. 19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth ; by understanding hath he established the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. 21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes : keep sound wisdom and discretion : 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. JULY 29. The Two Paths. Prov. iv, 7-18. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing ; therefore get wis- dom : and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee : she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace : a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. 10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings ; and the years of thy life shall be many. Ill have taught thee in the way of wisdom ; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her ; for she is thy life. 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 245 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mis- chief ; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. JULY 30. Intemperance. Prov. xxiii, 29-35. 29 Who hath woe ? who hath sorrow ? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine ; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. 34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick ; they have beaten me, and I felt it not : when shall I awake ? I will seek it yet again. JULY 31. The Whole Duty of Man. Eccl. xii. 1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw 246 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them ; 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain : 3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, 4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low ; 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond- tree shall nourish, and the grasshopper shall be a bur- den, and desire shall fail : because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fount- ain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was : and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity. 9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge ; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words : and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 247 . « of making many books there is no end ; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments : for this is the wdiole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 248 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. AUGUST 1. The Anointing by Mary. John xii, 1-8. 1 Then Je'sus six days before the passover came to Beth'a-ny, where Laz'a-rus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper ; and Mar'tha served : but Laz'a-rus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Ma'ry a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Je'sus, and wiped his feet with her hair : and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. 4 Then saith one of the disciples, Ju'das Is-car'i-ot, Si'mon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor ? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor ; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7 Then said Je'sus, Let her alone ; against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8 For the poor always ye have with you ; but me ye have not always. AUGUST 2. The Triumphal Entry. Matt, xxi, 1-11. 1 And when they drew nigh unto Je-ru'sa-lem, and were come to Beth-pha'ge, unto the mount of Ol'ives, then sent Je'sus two disciples, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 240 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway }~e shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and brinor them unto me. 3 And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Zi'on, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Je'sus com- manded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way ; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that fol- lowed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of Da'vid : Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord ; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Je-ru'sa-lem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this ? 11 And the multitude said, This is Je'sus the prophet of Naz'a-reth of Gal'i-lee. AUGUST 3. The Barren Fig-tree. Mark xi, 12-24. 12 And on the morrow, when they had come from Beth'a-ny, he was hungry : 13 And seeing a fig-tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon : and 250 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. when he came to it, he found Dothing but leaves ; for the time of figs was not yet. 14 And Je'sus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. 15 And they come to Je-ru'sa-lem : and Je'sus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves ; 16 And would not suffer that an y man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not writ- ten, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer ? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him : for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doc- trine. 19 And when even was come, he went out of the city. 20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Pe'ter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22 And Je'sus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea ; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass ; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 251 AUGUST 4. The Wicked Husbandmen. Mark xii, 1-12. 1 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another servant ; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him aw r ay shamefully handled. 5 And again he sent another ; and him they killed, and many others ; beating some, and killing some. 6 Having yet therefore one son, his well beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. 7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir ; come, let us kill him, and the inherit- ance shall be ours. 8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do ? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. 10 And have ye not read this Scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner : 11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes ? 12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people : for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them : and they left him, and went their way. 252 SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. AUGUST 5. The Geeat Commandment. Mark xii, 28-37. 28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first com- mandment of all ? 29 And Je'sus answered him, The first of all the com- mandments is, Hear, O Is'ra-el ; The Lord our God is one Lord : 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength : this is the first com- mandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other com- mandment greater than these. 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he : 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. 34 And when Je'sus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. 35 And Je'sus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of Da'vid ? 36 For Da'vid himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my light hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 37 Da'vid therefore himself calleth him Lord ; and whence is he then his son ? And the common people heard him gladly. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 253 AUGUST 6. The Last Teachings in the Temple. Matt, xxiii, 1-12. 1 Then spake Je'sus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Phar'i-sees sit in Mo'ses' seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do ; but do not ye after their works : for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders ; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men : they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rab'bi, Rab'bi. 8 But be not ye called Rab'bi : for one is your Mas- ter, even Christ ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth : for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters : for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased ; and he that shall humble himself shall be ex- alted. 254 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. AUGUST 7. Tribulations Foretold. Mark xiii, 1-13. 1 And as lie went out of the temple, one of his dis- ciples saith unto hirn, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here ! 2 And Je'sus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings ? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Ol'ives, over against the temple, Pe'ter and James and John and Au'drew asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled ? 5 And Je'sus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you : 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ ; and shall deceive many. 7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled : for such things must needs be ; but the end shall not be yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom : and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles ; these are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But take heed to yourselves : for they shall deliver you up to councils : and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate : but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye : for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 255 12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son ; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake : but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. AUGUST 8. The Command to Watch. Mark xiii, 28-37. 28 Now learn a parable of the fig-tree : When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. 30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away : but my words shall not pass away. 32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray : for ye know not when the time is. 34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far jour- ney, who left his house, and gave authority to his serv- ants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore : for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning : 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. 256 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. AUGUST 9. The Ten Virgins. Matt, xxv, 1-13. 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them : 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him. N 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil ; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you : but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage : and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore ; for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 257 AUGUST lO. The Last Judgment. Matt, xxv, 31^6. 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit npon the throne of his glory : 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations : and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the king- dom prepared for you from the foundation of the world : 35 For I was a-hungered, and ye gave me meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I w r as a stranger, and ye took me in : 36 Naked, and ye clothed me : I w r as sick, and ye visited me : I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a-hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink ? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, pre- pared for the devil and his angels : 258 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 42 For I was a-hungered, and ye gave me no meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink : 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, and ye clothed me not : sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a-hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punish- ment : but the righteous into life eternal. AUGUST 11. The Last Supper. Mark xiv, 12-25. 12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover ? 13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the good- man of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guest- chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my dis- ciples ? 15 And he will show you a large upper room fur- nished and prepared : there make ready for us. 16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 259 17 And in the evening lie cometh with the twelve. 18 And as they sat and did eat, Je'sus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. 19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I ? and another said, Is it I ? 20 And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. 21 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him : but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed ! good were it for that man if he had never been born. 22 And as they did eat, Je'sus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat ; this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them : and they all drank of it. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. AUGUST 12. Washing the Disciples' Feet. John xiii, 1-15. 1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Je'sus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Ju'das Is-car'i-ot, Si-mon's son, to betrav him : 3 Je'sus knowing that the Father had given all things 18 260 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God ; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments ; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and be- gan to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Si'mon Pe'ter : and Pe'ter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou w r ash my feet? 7 Je'sus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now ; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Pe'ter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Je'sus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Si'mon Pe'ter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Je'sus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit : and ye are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should betray him ^therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you ? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say w r ell; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet ; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. AUGUST 13. The Many Mansions. John xiv, 1-13. 1 Let not } 7 our heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in me. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 261 2 In my Father's house are many mansions : if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know, 5 Thom'as saith unto bim, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Je'sus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Je'sus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip ? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father ; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father ? 10 Belie vest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Fa- ther in me : or else believe me for the very w r orks' sake. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, lie that belie veth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do ; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 262 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. AUGUST 14. The Vine and the Branches. John xv, 1-15. 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husband- man. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketk away : and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch can- not bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for without rne ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered ; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear, much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you : continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's command- ments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one an- other, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 263 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I com- mand you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the serv- ant knoweth not what his lord doeth : but I have called you friends ; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. AUGUST 15. The Promise of the Comforter. John xvi, 1-13. 1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues ; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. • 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the be- ginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me ; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou ? 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sor- row hath filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth ; It is expedient for you that I go away : for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment : 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me ; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more ; 264 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth : for he shall not speak of himself ; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak : and he will show you things to come. AUGUST 16. The Prayer of Christ. John xvii, 1-11. 1 These words spake Je'sus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee : 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Je'sus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth : I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world : thine they were, and thou gavest them me ; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me ; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 2G5 9 I pray for them : I pray not for the world, hut for them which thou hdbt given me ; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine ; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. AUGUST 1 7. The Agony in the Garden. Matt, xxvi, 36-46. 36 Then cometh Je'sus with them unto a place called Geth-sem'a-ne, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Pe'ter and the two sons of Zeb'e-dee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death : tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me : nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Pe'ter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into tempta- tion : the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again : for their eyes were heavy. 266 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest : behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going : behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. AUGUST 18. The Betrayal. John xviii, 1-13. 1 When Je'sus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Ce'dron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. 2 And Ju'das also, which betrayed him, knew the place : for Je'sus ofttimes resorted thither with his dis- ciples. 3 Ju'das then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Phar'i-sees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Je'sus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye ? 5 They answered him, Je'sus of Naz'a-retn. Je'sus saith unto them, I am he. And Ju'das also, which be- trayed him, stood with them. 6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye ? And they said, Je'sus of Naz'a-reth. 8 Je'sus answered, I have told you that I am he : if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way : 9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 267 10 Then Si'mon Pe'ter having a sword drew it, and smote the high-priest's seiwant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Mal'chus. 11 Then said Je'sus unto Pe'ter, Put up thy sword into the sheath : the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? 12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Je'sus, and bound him, 13 And led him away to An'nas first; for he was father-in-law to Cai'a-phas, which was the high-priest that same year. AUGUST 19. Jesus Before the High-priest. Matt, xxvi, 58-66. 58 But Pe'ter followed him afar off unto the hiorh- priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Je'sus, to put him to death ; 60 But found none : yea, though many false wit- nesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high-priest arose, and said unto him, Answ r erest thou nothing? what is it which these wit- ness against thee ? 63 But Je'sus held his peace. And the high-priest answered and said unto him, 1 adjure thee by the liv- ing God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Je'sus saith unto him, Thou hast said : neverthe- less I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of 268 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high-priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy ; what further need have we of witnesses 1 behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye ? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. AUGUST 20. Jesus Before Pilate. John xviii, 28-40. 28 Then" led they Je'sus from Cai'a-phas unto the hall of judgment : and it was early ; and they them- selves went not into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled ; but that they might eat the passover. 29 Pi'late then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. 31 Then said Pi'late unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death : 32 That the saying of Je'sus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. 33 Then Pi'late entered into the judgment-hall again, and called Je'sus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews ? 34 Je'sus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me ? 35 Pi'late answered, Am I a Jew ? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me : what hast thou done ? 36 Je'sus answered, My kingdom is not of this world : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 269 if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews : but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then ? Je'sus answered, Thou sayest that I am a kin'g. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pi'late saith unto him, What is truth ? And when lie had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. 39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover : will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews ? 40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Ba-rab'bas. ISTow Ba-rab'bas was a robber. AUGUST 2 1 . Jesus Before Herod. Luke xxiii, 4-12. 4 Then said Pi'late to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. 5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jew'ry, begin- ning from Gal'i-lee to this place. 6 When Pi'late heard of Gal'i-lee, he asked whether the man were a Gral-i-le'an. 7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Iler'od's jurisdiction, he sent him to Her'od, who hiin- self also was at Je-ru'sa-lem at that time. 8 And when Her'od saw Je'sus, he was exceeding irlad : for he was desirous to see him of a Ions: season, because he had heard many things of him ; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 270 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 9 Then he questioned with him in many words ; but he answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and ve- hemently accused him. 11 And Her'od with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gor- geous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 12 And the same day Pilate and Her'od were made friends together; for before they were at enmity be- tween themselves. AUGUST 22. Jesus Crucified. Matt, xxvii, 24-35. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person : see ye to it. 25 Then answered the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 26 Then released he Ba-rab'bas unto them: and when he had scourged Je'sus, he delivered him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Je'sus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand : and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews ! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 271 the robe oft* from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him, 32 And as they dame out, they found a man of Cy- re'ne, Si'mon by name : him they compelled to bear the cross. 33 And when they were come unto a place called Gol'goth-a, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall : and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted his garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. AUGUST 23. The Death on the Cross. John xix, 19-30. 19 And Pi'late wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JE'SUS OF NAZ'A-KETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews ; for the place where Je'sus was crucified was nigh to the city : and it was written in He'brew, and Greek, and Lat'in. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pi'late, Write not, The King of the Jews ; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pi'late answered, What I have written I have written. 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Je'sus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part ; and also his coat : now the coat was without scam, woven from the top throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not 272 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be : that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. 25 Now there stood by the cross of Je'sus his mother, and his mother's sister, Ma'ry the wife of Cle'o-pas, and Ma'ry Mag-da-le'ne. 26 When Je'sus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son ! 27 Then said he to the disciple, Behold thy mother ! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. 28 After this, Je'sus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar : and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hys- sop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Je'sus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished : and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. AUGUST 24. The Burial. Matt, xxvii, 51-61. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom ; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent ; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrec- tion, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with 80BIPTURE SELECTIONS FOM DAILY HEADING. 273 him, watching Je'sus, saw the earthquake, and those things that wore clone, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Je'sus from Gal'i-lee, ministering unto him : 56 Among which was Ma'ry Mag-da-le'ne, and Mary the mother of James and Jo'ses, and the mother of Zeb'- e-dee's children. 57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Ar-i-ma-the'a, named Joseph, who also himself was Je'sus' disciple : 58 He went to Pi'late, and begged the body of Je'sus. Then Pi'late commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Jo'seph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock : and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed. 61 And there was Ma'ry Mag-da-le'ne, and the other Ma'ry, sitting over against the sepulcher. AUGUST 25. The Resurrection. Matt, xxviii, 1-8. 1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Ma'ry Mag-da- le'ne and the ofcher Ma'ry to see the sepulcher. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake : for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his rai- ment white as snow : 274 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye : for I know that ye seek Je'sus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here : for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead ; and, behold, he goeth before you into Gal'i-lee ; there shall ye see him : lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy ; and did run to bring his dis- ciples word. AUGUST 26. Jesus and Mary Magdalene. John xx, 11-18. 11 But Ma'ry stood without at the sepulcher weep- ing : and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher. 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Je'sus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou ? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Je'sus standing, and knew not that it was Je'sus. 15 Je'sus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou ? She, supposing him to be the gar- dener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 275 16 Je'sus saith unto her, Ma'ry. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rab-bo'ni ; which is to say, Master. 17 Je'sus saith unto her, Touch me not ; for I am not yet ascended to my Father : but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father ; and to my God, and your God. 18 Ma'ry Mag-da-le'ne came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. AUGUST 27. On the Way to Emmaus. Luke xxiv, 13-32. 13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Em'ma-us, which was from Je-ru'sa- lem about three-score furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Je'sus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of com- munications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad ? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cle'o-pas, an- swering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Je- ru'sa-lem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things ? And they said unto him, Concerning Je'sus of Naz'a-reth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people : 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers deliv- 19 276 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAIL7 HEADING. ered him fco be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed ts'ra-el: and besides .-ill this, to-day is the third since these things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were curly at the sep- ulcher; 28 And when they Hound Dot his body, they came, paying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive, 24 And certain of them which were with us went to (lie sepulcher, and found it even SO as the women had said : but him they saw not. 25 Then said he Ulito them, <> fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken : 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these ^things, and to enter into his glory ? 27 And beginning at Mo'ses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew uigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is Ear spent. And he went in to tarry with (hem. <">0 And it came to pass, as lie sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed if, and brake, and gave to them. 8] And there eyes were opened, and they knew him ; and he vanished out of their sight. '. } >2 And they said one to another, I )id not our heart burn within us, while lie talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures ? SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READIXG. 277 AUGUST 28. The Risen Christ and the Disciples. Luke xxiv, 33-44. 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Je-ru'sa-lem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath ap- peared to Si'mon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. 36 And as they thus spake, Jesus -himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and sup- posed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself : handle me and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat ? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honey-comb. 43 And he took it and did eat before them. 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Mo'ses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 278 SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. AUGUvST 29. The Risen Christ and Thomas. John xx, 24-31. 24 But Thoni'as, one of the twelve, called Did'y-mus, was not with them when JVsus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thom'as with them : then came Je'sus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he unto Thom'as, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands ; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side ; and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thom'as answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Je'sus saith unto him, Thom'as, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed : blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Je'sus in the pres- ence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these" are written, that ye might believe that Je'sus is the Christ, the Son of God : and that belie ve- ing ye might have life through his name. AUGUST 30. At the Sea of Galilee. John xxi, 4-17. 4 But when the morning was now come, Je'sus stood on the shore ; but the disciples knew not that it was Je'sus. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 279 5 Then Je'sus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat ? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right gide of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast there- fore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Je'sus loved saith unto Pe'ter, It is the Lord. Now when Si'mon Pe'ter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship, (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hun- dred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw afire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Je'sus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Si'mon Pe'ter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty and three : and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Je'sus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Je'sus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Je'sus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15 So when they had dined, Je'sus saith to Si'mon Pe'ter, Si'mon, son of Jo'nas, lovest thou me more than these ? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord ; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Si'mon, son of Jo'nas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord ; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 280 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Si'inon, son of Jo'nas, lovest thou me % Pe'ter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things ; thou knowest that I love thee. Je'sus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. AUGUST 31. The Ascension. Luke xxiv, 44r-53. 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Mo'ses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Je-ru'sa-lem, 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you : but tarry ye in the city of Je-ru'sa-leni, until ye be endued with power from on high. 50 And he led them out as far as to Beth'a-ny, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Je- ru'sa-lem with great joy : 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 2S1 SEPTEMBER 1. The Kingdom Divided. 1 Kings xii, 1-17. 1 And Re-ho-bo'am went to She'chem : for all Is'ra-el were come to She'chem to make him king. 2 And it came to pass, when Jer-o-bo'am the son of Ne'bat, who was yet in E'gypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Sol'o-mon, and Jer-o- bo'am dwelt in E'gypt,) 3 That they sent and called him. And Jer-o-bo'am and all the congregation of Is'ra-el came, and spake unto Ke-ho-bo'am, saying, 4 Thy father made our yoke grievous : now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. 5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. 6 And king Re-ho-bo'am consulted with the old men, that stood before Sol'o-mon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people ? 7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever. 8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him : 9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, 282 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? 10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us ; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. 11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke : my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12 So Jer-o-bo'am and all the people came to Re-ho- bo'ain the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him ; 14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke : my father also chastised you with whips, but I w r ill chastise you with scorpions. 15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the peo- ple ; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by A-hi'jah the Shi-lo'nite unto Jer-o-bo'am the son of Ne'bat. 16 So when all Is'ra-el saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in Da'vid ? neither have we in- heritance in the son of Jes'se : to your tents, O Is'ra-el : now see to thine own house, Da'vid. So Is'ra-el de- parted unto their tents. 17 But as for the children of Is'ra-el which dwelt in the cities of Ju'dah, Re-ho-bo'am reigned over them. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 2S3 SEPTEMBER 2. Jeroboam's Kingdom. 1 Kings xii, 20-30. 20 And it came to pass, when all Is'ra-el heard that Jer-o-Wam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him kins: overall Is'ra-el : there was none that followed the house of Da'vid, but the tribe of Ju'dah only. 21 And when Re-ho-bo'am was come to Je-ru'sa-lem, he assembled all the house of Ju'dah, with the tribes of Ben'ja-min, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Is'ra-el, to brin^ the kingdom again to Re-ho-bo'am the son of Sol'o-mon. 22 But the word of God came unto Shem-a-i'ah the man of God, saying, 23 Speak unto Re-ho-bo'am, the son of Sol'o-mon, king of Ju'dah, and unto all the house of Ju'dah and Ben'ja-min, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24 Thus saith the. Loud, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Is'ra-el : re- turn every man to his house ; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the words of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord. 25 Then Jer-o-bo'am built She'chem in mount E'phra- im, and dwelt therein ; and went out from thence, and built Pen-u'el. 26 And Jer-o-bo'am said in his heart, ~Noxv shall the kingdom return to the house of Da'vid: 27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Je-ru'sa-lem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Re- ho-bo'am king of Ju'dah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Re-ho-bo'am kins: of Ju'dah. 28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two 284 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Je-ru'sa-lem : behold thy gods, O Is'ra-el, which brought thee up out of the land of E'gypt. 29 And he set the one in Beth'el, and the other put he in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin : for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. SEPTEMBER 3. Elijah the Prophet. 1 Kings xvii, 1-16. 1 And E-li'jah the Tish'bite, who was of the inhab- itants of Gil'e-ad, said unto A'hab, As the Lord God of Is'ra-el liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Che'rith, that is before Jor'dan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook ; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord : for he went and dwelt by the brook Che'rith, that is before Jor'dan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening ; and he drank of the brook. 7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zar'e-phath, which belongeth to Zi'don, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 10 So he arose and went to Zar'e-phath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 285 woman was there gathering of sticks : and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse : and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13 And E-li'jah said unto her, Fear not ; go and do as thou hast said : but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the Lord God of Is'ra-el, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went and did according to the saying of E-li'jah : and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by E-li'jah. SEPTEMBER 4. The Widow's Son Restored. 1 Kings xvii, 17-24. 17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick ; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said unto E-li'jah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God ? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son \ 286 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him oat of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. 20 And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son ? 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. 22 And the Lord heard the voice of E-li'jah ; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And E-li'jah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother : and E-li'jah said, See, thy son liveth. 24 And the woman said to E-li'jah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth. SEPTEMBER 5. Elijah and Obadiah. 1 Kings xviii, 1-16. 1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to E-li'jah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto A'hab; and I will send rain upon the earth. 2 And E-li'jah went to show himself unto A'hab. And there was a sore famine in Sa-ma'ri-a. 3 And A'hab called O-ba-di'ah, which was the gov- ernor of his house. Now O-ba-di'ah feared the Lord greatly. 4 For it w r as so, when Jez'e-bel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that O-ba-di'ah took a hundred prophets, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 2S7 and liid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. 5 And A'hab said unto O-ba-di'ah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks : per- adventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. 6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it : A'hab went one way by himself, and O-ba-di'ah went another way by himself. 7 And as O-ba-di'ah was in the way, behold, E-li'jah met him : and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord E-li'jah ? 8 And he answered him, I am : go, tell thy lord, Be- hold, E-li'jah is here. 9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou would- est deliver thy servant into the hand of A'hab, to slay me? 10 As the Lokd thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee : and when they said, He is not there ; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. 11 And now thou sayest, Go tell thy lord, Behold, E-li'jah is here. 12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall cany thee whither I know not ; and so when I come and tell A'hab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me : but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. 13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jez'e- bel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water ? 14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, E-li'jah is here : and he shall slay me. 15 And E-li'jah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, be- 288 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. fore whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to-day. 16 So O-ba-di'ah went to meet A'hab, and told him: and A'hab went to meet E-li'jah. SEPTEMBER 6. The Meeting on Mount Carmel. 1 Kings xviii, 17-29. 17 And it came to pass, when A'hab saw E-li'jah, that A'hab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Is'ra-el? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Is'ra-el; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have for- saken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Ba'al-im. 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Is'ra-el unto mount Car'mel, and the prophets of Ba'al four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four- hundred, which eat at Jez'e-bel's table. 20 So A'hab sent unto all the children of Is'ra-el, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Car'mel. 21 And E-li'jah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions ? if the Lord be God, follow him : but if Ba'al, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said E-li'jah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord ; but Ba'al's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks ; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under : and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under : 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 2S9 call on the name of the Lord : and the God that an- swereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. 25 And E-li'jah said unto the prophets of Ba'al, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Ba'al from morning even until noon, saying, O Ba'al, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that E-li'jah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud : for he is a god ; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when mid-day was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the even- ing sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to an- swer, nor any that regarded. SEPTEMBER 7. Elijah's Prayer Answered. 1 Kings xviii, 30-39. 30 And E-li'jah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was "broken down. 31 And E-li'jah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Ja'cob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Is'ra-el shall be thy name : 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name 290 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. of the Lord : and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bul- lock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacri- fice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar ; and he filled the trench also with water. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that E-li'jah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of A' bra-ham, I'saac, and of Is'ra-el, let it be known this day that thou art God in Is'ra-el, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their hearts back again. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces : and they said, The Lord, he is the God ; the Lord, he is the God. SEPTEMBER S. The Rain. 1 Kings xviii, 40-46. 40 And E-li'jah said unto them, Take the prophets of Ba'al ; let not one of them escape. And they took them : and E-li'jah brought them down to the brook Ki'shon, and slew them there. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 291 » ■ 41 And E-li'jah said unto A'hab, Get thee up, eat and drink ; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42 So A'hab went up to eat and to drink. And E-li'- jah went up to the top of Car'mel ; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go ag^ain seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto A'hab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And A'hab rode, and went to Jez're-el. 46 And the hand of the Lokd was on E-li'jah ; and he girded up his loins, and ran before A'hab to the en- trance of Jez're-el. SEPTEMBER 9. Elijah's Flight. 1 Kings xix, 1-8. 1 And A'hab told Jez'e-bel all that E-li'jah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jez'e-bel sent a messenger unto E-li'jah, say- ing, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Be-er'she-ba, which belongeth to Ju'- dah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wil- 20 292 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. derness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree : and he requested for himself that he might die ; and said, It is enough ; now, O Lord, take away my life ; for I am not better than my fathers. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper-tree, be- hold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat ; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Ho'reb the mount of God. SEPTEMBER lO. God's Command to Elijah. 1 Kings xix, 9-21. 9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there ; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, E-li'jah '{ 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts : for the children of Is'ra-el have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sw T ord ; and I, even I only, am left ; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand "upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord ; but the Lord was not in the wind : and after the wind an earth- quake ; but the Lord w r as not in the earthquake : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 293 12 And after the earthquake afire; but the Lord was not in the fire : and after the fire a still 6mall voice. 13 And it was so, when E-li'jah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, E-li'- jah ? 14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lokd God of hosts : because the children of Is'ra-el have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine* altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword ; and I, even I only, am left ; and they seek my life, to take it away. 15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Da-mas'cus : and when thou comest, anoint Haz'a-el to be king over Syr'i-a; 16 And Je'hu the son of Nim'shi shalt thou anoint to be king over Is'ra-el : and E-li'sha the son of Sha'- phat of A'bel-me-ho'lah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapetli the sword of Haz'a-el shall Je'hu slay: and him that escapetli from the sword of Je'hu shall E-li'sha slay. 18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Is'ra-el, all the knees which have not bowed unto Ba'al, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 19 So he departed thence, and found E-li'sha the son of Sha'phat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth : and E-li'jah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after E-li'jah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said untu him, Go back again : for what have I done to thee ? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the 294 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after E-li'jah, and ministered unto him. SEPTEMBER 11. Naboth's Vineyard. 1 Kings xxi, 4-20. 4 And A'hab came into his house heavy and dis- pleased because of the word which Na'both the Jez're- el-ite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. 5 But Jez'e-bel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread ? 6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto JNTa'- both the Jez're-el-ite,, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money ; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it : and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. 7 And Jez'e-bel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Is'ra-el ? arise, and eat. bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vine- yard of JNTa'both the Jez're-el-ite. 8 So she wrote letters in A'hab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Na'both. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Na'both on high among the people : 10 And set two men, sons of Be'li-al, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. 1 1 And the men of his city, even the elders and the SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 295 nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jez'- e-bel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Na'both on high among the people. 13 And there came in two men, children of Be'li-al, and sat before him : and the men of Be'li-al witnessed against him, even against Na'both, in the presence of the people, saying, Na'both did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jez'e-bel, saying, Na'both is stoned, and is dead. 15 And it came to pass, when Jez'e-bel heard that Na'both was stoned, and was dead, that Jez'e-bel said to A'hab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Na'- both the Jez're-el-ite, which he refused to give thee for money : for Na'both is not alive, but dead. 16 And it came to pass, when A'hab heard that Na'- both was dead, that A'hab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Na'both the Jez're-el-ite, to take possession of it. 17 And the word of the Lord came to E-li'jah the Tish'bite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet A'hab king of Is'ra-el. which is in Sa-ma'ri-a : behold, he is in the vineyard of Na'both, whither he is gone down to possess it. 19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken posses- sion ? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Na'both shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. 20 And A'hab said to E-li'jah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy ? And he answered, I have found thee : because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. 296 SGBIPTWBE SELECTION'S FOB DAILY BEADING. SEPTEMBER 12. The Translation of Elijah. 2 Kings ii, 1-12, 1 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take tip E-li'jah into heaven by a whirlwind, that E-li'jah went with E-li'sha from Gil'gal. £ And E-li'jah said unto E-li'sha, Tarry here, I pray thee ; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth/el. And E-li'sha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth'el. 8 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth'el came forth to E-li'sha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 4 And E-li'jah said unto him, E-li'sha, tarry here, I pray thee ; for the Lord hath sent me to Jer'i-cho. Aud he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liv- eth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jer'i-cho. 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jer'i- cho came to E-li'sha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day ? And he answered, Yea, I know it ; hold ye your peace. 6 And E-li'jah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here ; for the Lord hath sent me to Jor'dan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off : and they two stood by Jor'dan. 8 And E-li'jah took his mantle, and wrapped it to- gether, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 297 9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that E-li'jah said unto E-li'sha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And E-li'sha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing : nev- ertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee ; but if not, it shall not be so. 11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of lire, and parted them both asunder ; and E-li'jah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And E-li'sha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Is'ra-el, and the horsemen there- of ! And he saw him no more : and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. SEPTEMBER 13. Elijah's Successor, Elisha. 2 Kings ii, 13-25. 13 He took up also the mantle of E-li'jah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jor'dan ; 14 And he took the mantle of E-li'jah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of E-li'jah ? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither : and E-li'sha went over. 15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jer'i-cho saw him, they said, The spirit of E-li'jah doth rest on E-li'sha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16 And they said unto him, Behold, now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men ; let them go, we 298 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. pray thee, and seek thy master : lest perad venture the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men ; and they sought three days, but found him not. 18 And when they came again to him, for he tarried at Jer'i-cho, he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not ? 19 And the men of the city said unto E-li'sha, Be- hold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth : but the water is nought, and the ground barren. 20 Aud he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. 21 And he went forth unto the spring of the Waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters ; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. 22 So the waters were healed unto this day, accord- ing to the saying of E-li'sha which he spake. 23 And he went up from thence unto Beth'el : and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head ; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. 25 And he went from thence to Mount Car'mel, and from thence he returned to Sa-ma'ri-a. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 299 SEPTEMBER 14. The Oil Increased. 2 Kings iv, 1-7. 1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto E-li'sha, saying, Thy serv- ant my husband is dead ; and thou kuowest that thy servant did fear the Lord : and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2 And E-li'sha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house ? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels ; borrow not a few. 4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. SEPTEMBER 15. The Woman of Shunem. 2 Kings iv, 8-17. 8 And it fell on a day, that E-li'sha passed to Shu'- nem, where was a great woman ; and she constrained 300 SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. him to eat bread. And so it was, that, as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall ; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick : and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned in the chamber, and lay there. 12 And he said to Ge-ha'zi his servant, Call this Shu '- nam-mite. And when he had called her, she stood be- fore him. 13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Be- hold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care ; what is to be done for thee ? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14 And he said, What then is to be done for her ? And Ge-ha'zi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16 And he said, About this season according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that E-li'sha had said unto her, according to the time of life. SEPTEMBER 1 6. The Shunammite's Son. 2 Kings iv, 18-37. 18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 301 19 And he said unto his father, My head, my head ! And he said to a lad, Cany him to his mother. 20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, lie sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. 23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to- day ? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. 24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward ; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. 25 So she went, and came unto the man of God to mount Car'mel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Ge-ha'zi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shu'nam-mite : 26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee ? is it well with thy husband ? is it well with the child ? And she answered, It is well. 27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet ; but Ge-ha'zi came nenr to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone ; for her soul is vexed within her : and the LoPwD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. 28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord ? did I not say, Do not deceive me ? 29 Then he said to Ge-ha'zi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way : if thou meet any man, salute him not ; and if any salute thee, answer him not again : and lay my staff upon the face of the child. 302 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 30 And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. 31 And Ge-ha'zi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child ; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. 32 And when E-li'sha was come into the house, be- hold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. 34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands : and he stretched him- self upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro ; and went up, and stretched himself upon him : and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 And he called Ge-ha'zi, and said, Call this Shu'- nam-mite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 37 Then she went in, .and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. SEPTEMBER 17. Naaman Healed. 2 Kings v, 1-14. 1 Now Na'a-man, captain of the host of the king of Syr'i-a, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syr'i-a : he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 303 2 And the Syr'i-ans had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Is'ra-el a little maid ; and she waited on Na'a-man's wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Sa-ma'ri-a ! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Is'ra-el. 5 And the king of Syr'i-a said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Is'ra-el. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thou- sand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Is'ra-el, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Na'a-man ray servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Is'ra-el had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? Wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. 8 And it was so, when E-li'sha the man of God had heard that the king of Is'ra-el had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes ? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Is'ra-el. 9 So Na'a-man came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of E-li'sha. 10 And E-li'sha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash inJor'dan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shall be clean. 11 But Na'a-man was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surelv come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 304 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 Are not Ab'a-na and Phar'par, rivers of Da-mas'- eus, better than all the waters of Is'ra-el ? may I not wash in them, and be clean ? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it ? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean ? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jor'dan, according to the saying of the man of God : and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. SEPTEMBER IS. Gehazi Smitten. 2 Kings v, 20-27. 20 But Ge-ha'zi, the servant of E-li'sha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Na'a-man this Syr'i-an, in not receiving at his bands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. 21 So Ge-ha'zi followed after Na'a-man. And when Na'a-man saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all w r ell ? 22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount E'phra-im two young men of the sonsof the proph- ets : give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. 23 And Na'a-man said, Be content, take twT> talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants ; and they bare them before him. SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. 305 24 And when he came to the tower, lie took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house : and he let the men go, and they departed. 25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And E-li'sha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Ge-ha'zi ? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. 26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee ? Is it a time to receive money, and to re- ceive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants? 27 The leprosy therefore of Na'a-man shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. SEPTEMBER 19. Elisha's Defenders. 2 Kings vi, 8-17. 8 Then the king of Syr'i-a warred against Is'ra-el, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. 9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Is'ra-el, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place ; for thither the Syr'i-ans are come down. 10 And the king of Is'ra-el sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. 11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syr'i-a was sore troubled for this tiling: and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Is'ra-el ? 12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king : but E-li'sha, the prophet that is in Is'ra-el, tell- eth the king of Is'ra-el the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber. 306 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Be- hold, he is in Do'than. 14 Therefore sent he thither horses and chariots, and a great host : and they came by night, and compassed the city about. 15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his serv- ant said unto him, Alas, my master ! how shall we do ? 16 And he answered, Fear not : for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And E-li'sha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man ; and he saw : and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about E-li'sha. SEPTEMBER 20. Samaria Delivered. 2 Kings vii, 1-11. 1 Then E-li'sha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord ; Thus saith the Lord, To-morrow about this time shall a measure of ^ne flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Sa-ma'- ri-a. 2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned an- swered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, mi^ht this tiling be ? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die ? 4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 307 famine is in the city, and we shall die there : and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syr'i-ans : if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. 5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syr'i-ans : and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syr'i-a, behold, there was no man there. 6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syr'i-ans to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host : and they said one to another, Lo, the kin^r of Is'ra-el hath hired against us the kin^s of the Hit'tites, and the kings of the E-gyp'tians, to come upon us. 7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it ; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. 9 Then they said one to another, We do not well : this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace : if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come that we may go and tell the king's household. 10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syr'i-ans, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied and the tents as they were. 11 And he called the porters ; and they told it to the kind's house within. 21 308 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. SEPTEMBER 21. Elisha's Prophecy Fulfilled. 2 Kings vii, 12-20. 12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syr'i-ans have done to us. They know that we be hungry; there- fore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, w r e shall catch them alive, and get into the city. 13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Is'ra-elthat are left in it : behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Is ; ra-el-ites that are consumed,) and let us send and see. 14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syr'i-ans, saying, Go and see. 15 And they went after them unto Jor'dan : and lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syr'i-ans had cast away in their haste. And the mes- sengers returned, and told the king. 16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syr'i-ans. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. 17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate : and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. 18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to-morrow about this time in the gate of Sa-ma'ri-a : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 309 19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be ? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thiue eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 20 And so it fell out unto him : for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died. SEPTEMBER 22. Jehu Anointed. 2 Kings ix, 1-7. 1 And E-li'shathe prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ra'- moth-gil'e-ad : 2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Je'hu the son of Je-hosh'a-phat the son of Nim'shi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber ; 3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saiththe Lord, I have anointed thee king over Is'ra-el. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not. 4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ra'moth-gil'e-ad. 5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, captain. And Je'hu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. 6 And he arose, and went into the house ; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Is'ra-el, I lyive anointed thee king over the people of the Lord, even over Is'ra-el. 7 And thou shalt smite the house of A'hab thy mas- 310 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. ter, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jez'e-bel. SEPTEMBER 23. The Death of Elisha. 2 Kings xinV 13-25. 13 And Jo'ash slept with his fathers ; and Jer-o- bo'am sat upon his throne : and Jo'ash was buried in Sa-ma'ri-a with the kings of Is'ra-el. 14 Now E-li'sha was fallen sick of his sickness where- of he died. And Jo'ash the king of Is'ra-el came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my fa- ther, my father ! the chariot of Is'ra-el, and the horse- men thereof. 15 And E-li'sha said unto him, Take bow and ar- rows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. 16 And he said to the king of Is'ra-el, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it : and E-li'sha put his hands upon the king's hands. 17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then E-li'sha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Loed's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syr'i-a : for thou shalt smite the Syr'i-ans in A'phek, till thou have consumed them. 18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Is'ra-el, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times ; then hadst thou smitten Syr'i-a till thou hadst con- sumed it : whereas now thou shalt smite Syr'i-a but thrice. 20 And E-li'sha died, and they buried him. And SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAIL Y RE. 1 DIXG. 3 1 1 the bands of the Mo'ab-ites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. 21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men ; and they cast the man into the sepulcher of E-li'sba : and when the man was let clown, and touched the bones of E-li'sha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. 22 Bat Haz'a-el king of Syr'i-a oppressed Is'ra-el all the days of Je-ho'a-haz. 23 And the Lord was gracious unto them; and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with A'bra-ham, I'saac, and Ja'cob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet. 24 So Haz'a-el king of Syr'i-a died ; and Ben-ha'dad his son reigned in his stead. 25 And Je-ho'ash the son of Je-ho'a-haz took again out of the hand of Ben-ha'dad the son of Haz'a-el the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Je-ho'a- haz his father by war. Three times did Jo'ash beat him, and recovered the cities of Is'ra-el. SEPTEMP3ER 24. Jonah's Flight. Jonah i, 1-17. 1 Now the word of the Loud came unto Jo'nah the son of A-mit'tai, saving, 2 Arise, go to Nin'e-veh, that great city, and cry against it ; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jo'nah rose up to flee unto Tar'shish from the presence of the Loud, and went down to Jbp'pa ; and he found a ship going to Tar'shish : so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tar'shish from the presence of the Lord. 312 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING, 4 But the Lord seat out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jo'- nah was gone down into the sides of the ship ; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 6 So the ship-master came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper ? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we per- ish not. 7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jo'nah. 8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us ? What is thine occupation ? and whence comest thou ? what is thy country ? and of what people art thou ? 9 And he said unto them, I am a He'brew ; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. 10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this ? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, be- cause he had told them. 11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us ? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. 12 And he said unto them, Take m-e up, and cast me forth into the sea ; so shall the sea be calm unto you : for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 313 land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. 14 Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood : for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. 15 So they took up Jo'nah, and cast him forth into the sea : and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. 17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swal- low up Jo'nah. And Jo'nah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. SEPTEMBER 25. Jonah's Preaching Jonah iii, 1-10. 1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jo'nah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nin'e-veh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jo'nah arose, and went unto Nin'e-veh, accord- ing to the word of the Lord. Now Nin'e-veh was an exceeding great city of three days 1 journey. 4 And Jo'nah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nin'e-veh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people of Nin'e-veh believed God, and pro- claimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 For word came unto the king of Nin'e-veh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published 314 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. through rSTin'e-veh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing : let them not feed, nor drink water : 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God : yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not ? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way ; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them ; and he did it not. SEPTEMBER 26. Jonah's Anger. Jonah iv, 1-11. 1 But it displeased Jo'nah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tar'- shish : for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and re- -pentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me ; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry ? 5 So Jo'nah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jo'nah, that it might be a shadow over SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 315 bis head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jo'nah was exceeding glad of the' gourd. 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind ; and the sun beat upon the head of Jo'nah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. 9 And God said to Jo'nah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd ? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. 10 Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not labored, neither mad- est it grow ; which came up in a night, and perished in a night. 11 And should not I spare Nin'e-veh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot .discern between their right hand and their left hand ; and also much cattle ? SEPTEMBER 27. The Warning of Amos. Amos iv, 1-13. 1 Hear this word, ye kine of Ba'shan, that are in the mountain of Sa-ma'ri-a, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink. 2 The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fish-hooks. 3 And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the Lord. 316 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 4 Come to Beth 'el, and transgress ; at Gil'gal mul- tiply transgression ; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years : 5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings : for this liketh you, O ye children of Is'ra-el, saith the Lord God. 6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places : yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. 7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest : and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city : one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. 8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water ; but they were not satisfied : yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. 9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew : when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig- trees and your olive-trees increased, the palmer- worm devoured them : yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. 10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of E'gypt : your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses ; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils : yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Ill have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sod'om and Go-mor'rah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning : yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. 12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Is'ra-el : and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Is'ra-el. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 317 13 For, lo, he that forraeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and tread- eth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name. SEPTEMBER 28. Hosea's Appeal. Hosea xiv, 1-9. 1 O Is'ra-el, return unto the Lord thy God ; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2 Take with you words, and turn to the Lord ; say unto him. Take away all iniquity, and receive us gra- ciously : so will we render the calves of our lips.. 3 Assh'ur shall not save us ; we will not ride upon horses : neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods : for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. 4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely : for mine anger is turned away from him. 5 I will be as the dew unto Is'ra-el : he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Leb'a-non. 6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Leb'a-non. 7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return ; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine : the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Leb'a-non. 8 E'phra-im shall say, What have I to do any more with idols ? I have heard him, and observed him : I am like a green fir-tree. From me is thy fruit found. 9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things ? prudent, and he shall know them ? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them : but the transgressors shall fall therein. 318 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. SEPTEMBER 29. The Fall of Samaria. 2 Kings xvii, 6-18. 6 1^ the ninth year of Ho-she'a the king of As- syr'i-a took Sa-ma'ri-a, and carried Is'ra-el away into As-syr'i-a, and placed them in Ha'lah and in Ha'bor by the river of Go'zan, and in the cities of the Medes. 7 For so it was, that the children of Is'ra-el had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of E'gypt, from under the hand of Pha'raoh king of E'gypt, and had feared other gods, 8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Is'ra-el, and of the kings of Is'ra-el, which they had made. 9 And the children of Is'ra-el did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. 10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree : 11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger : 12 For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. 13 Yet the Lord testified against Is'ra-el, and against Ju'dah, by all the prophets and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my command- ments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. 14 Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hard- ened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY BEADING. 319 15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them ; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them. 16 And they left all the commandments of the Lokd their God, and made them molten images, even two calve-, and made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Ba'al. 17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and en- chantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord w r as very angry with Is'ra-el, and removed t'hem out of his si^ht : there was none left but the tribe of Ju'dah only. SEPTEMBER 30. Give Ear, Shepherd. Psa. lxxx. 1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Is'ra-el, thou that leadest Jo'seph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. 2 Before E'phra-im and Ben'ja-min and Ma-nas'seh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. 3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine ; and w r e shall be saved. 4 O Lord God of hosts, how long w T ilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people ? 5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. 6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors : and our enemies laugh among themselves. 320 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine ; and we shall be saved. 8 Thou hast brought a vine out of E'gypt : thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. 9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. 11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. 12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her ? 13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. 14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts : look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine ; 15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down : they per- ish at the rebuke of thy countenance. 17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. 18 So will not we go back from thee : quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. 19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine ; and we shall be saved. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 321 OCTOBER 1. The Descent of the Holy Spirit. Acts ii, 1-13. 1 And when the day of Pen'te-cost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Je-ru'sa-lem Jews, de- vout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Gal-i-le'ans ? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born ? 9 Par'thi-ans, and Medes, and E'lam-ites, and the dwellers in Mes-o-po-ta'mi-a, and in Ju-de'a, and Cap-pa- do'ci-a, in Pon'tus, and A'si-a, 10 Phryg'i-a, and Pam-phyl'i-a, in E'gypt, and in the parts of Lib'y-a about Cy-re'ne, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cre'tes and A-ra'bi-ans, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 322 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this ? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. OCTOBER 2. The Pentecostal Church. Acts ii, 37-47. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Pe'ter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ? 38 Then Pe'ter said unto them, Repent, and be bap- tized every one of you in the name of Je'sus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward gen- eration. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized : and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul : and many won- ders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common ; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 323 temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favor with all the peo- ple. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. OCTOBER 3. The Lame Man Healed. Acts iii, 1-10. 1 Now Pe'ter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 3 Who, seeing Pe'ter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms. 4 And Pe'ter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Pe'ter said, Silver and gold have I none ; but such as I have give I thee : In the name of Je'sus Christ of Naz'a-reth rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up : and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God: 10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple : and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had hap- pened unto him. 22 324 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. OCTOBER 4. The Apostles befoee the Council. Acts iv, 8-21. 8 Then Pe'ter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people and elders of Is'ra-el, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole ; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Is'ra-el, that by the name of Je'sus Christ of Naz'a- reth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Pe'ter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled ; and they took knowl- edge of them, that they had been with Je'sus. 14 And beholding the man which was healed stand- ing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do to these men ? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Je-ru'sa-lem ; and we cannot deny it. 17 But that its pread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. 18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Je'sus. 19 But Pe'ter and John answered and said unto SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 325 them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people : for all men glorified God for that which was done. OCTOBER 5. The Apostles Released. Acts v, 17-32. 17 Then the high-priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sad'du-cees,) and were filled with indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high- priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Is'ra-el, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man' within. 24 Now when the high-priest and the captain of the 326 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. 25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence : for they feared the peo- ple, lest they should have been stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council : and the high-priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name ? and, behold, ye have filled Je-ru'sa-lem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 29 Then Pe'ter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Je'sus, w T hom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Is'ra-el, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things ; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. OCTOBER 6. The Seven Chosen. Acts vi. 1 Ais t d in those days, when the number of the dis- ciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Gre'ci-ans against the He'brews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the dis- ciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 327 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wis- dom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude : and they chose Ste'phen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Phil'ip, and Proch'o-rus, and Ni-ca'nor, and Ti'inon, aud Par'me-nas, and Nic'o-las a proselyte of An'ti-och; 6 Whom they set before the apostles : and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased ; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Je-ru'sa-lem greatly ; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. 8 And Ste'phen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. 9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Lib'er-tines, and Cy-re'ni- ans, and Al-ex-an'dri-ans, and of them of Cil-i'ci-a and of A'si-a, disputing with Ste'phen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. 11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Mo'ses, and against God. 12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: 14 For we have heard him say, that this Je'sus of Naz'a-reth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Mo'ses delivered us. 328 SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR DAILY READING. 15 And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. OCTOBER 7. Stephen, the First Martyr. Acts vii, 48-viii, 4. 48 Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands ; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool : what house will ye build me ? saith the Lord : or what is the place of my rest ? 50 Hath not my hand made all these things ? 51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost : as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers per- secuted ? and they have slain them which showed be- fore of the coming of the Just One ; of whom ye have been now the betravers and murderers : 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. 54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Je'sus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him : and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 329 59 And they stoned Ste'phen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Je'sus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Je-ru'sa-lem ; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Ju-de'a and Sa-ma'ri-a, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Ste'phen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made great havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every-where preaching the word. OCTOBER 8. Philip and the Ethiopian. Acts viii, 26-40. 26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south, unto the way that goeth down from Je-ru'sa-lem unto Ga'za, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went : and, behold, a man of E-thi-o'pi-a, a eunuch of great authority under Can'da-ce queen of the E-thi-o'pi-ans, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Je-ru'sa-lem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read E-sa'ias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Phil'ip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Phil'ip ran thither to him, and heard him 330 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. read the prophet E-saias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest ? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me ? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the Scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter ; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth : 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away : and who shall declare his generation ? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this ? of him- self, or of some other man ? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Je'sus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water : and the eunuch said, See, here is water ; what doth hinder me to be baptized ? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou may est. And he answered and said, I be- lieve that Je'sus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still : and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch ; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more : and he went on his way re- joicing. 40 But Philip was found at A-zo'tus : and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Ces-a-re'a. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR BAIL Y HEADING. 331 OCTOBER 9. Saul's Conversion. Acts ix, 1-18. 1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high-priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Da-nias'cus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Je-ru'sa-leni. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Da-mas'cus : and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven : 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord ? And the Lord said, I am Je'sus whom thou persecutest : it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee Avhat thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth ; and when his eves were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Da-mas'cus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 10 And there was a certain disciple at Da-mas'cus, named An-a-ni'as ; and to him said the Lord in a vision, An-a-ni'as. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Ju'das for one called Saul, of Tar'sus : for, be- hold, he prayeth, 332 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named An-a-ni'as coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then An-a-ni'as answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Je-ru'sa-lem : 14 And here he hath authority front the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way : for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gen'tiles, and kings, and the children of Is'ra-el : 16 For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And An-a-ni'as went his way, and entered into the house ; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Je'sus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales : and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. OCTOBER lO. Dorcas Restored to Life. Acts ix, 32-43. 32 And it came to pass, as Pe'ter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lyd'da. 33 And there he found a certain man named E-ne'as, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. 34 And Pe'ter said unto him, E-ne'as, Je'sus Christ maketh thee whole : arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 333 35 And all that dwelt at Lyd'da and Sa'ron saw him, and turned to the Lord. 36 Now there was at Jop'pa a certain disciple named Tab'i-tha, which by interpretation is called Dor'cas: this woman was full of good works and alms-deeds which she did. 37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died : whom when they had washed, they laid her in an tipper chamber. 38 And forasmuch as Lyd'da was nigh to Jop'pa, and the disciples had heard that Pe'ter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. 39 Then Pe'ter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber : and all the widows stood by him weeping, and show- ing the coats and garments which Dor'cas made, while she was w T ith them. 40 But Pe'ter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed ; and turning him to the body said, Tab'i- tha, arise. And she opened her eyes : and when she saw Pe'ter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up ; and when he had called the saints and widows, he pre- sented her alive. 42 And it was known throughout all Jop'pa; and many believed in the Lord. 43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Jop'pa with one Si'mon a tanner. OCTOBER 11. Cornelius the Centurion. Acts x, 30-44. 30 And Cor-ne'li-us said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour ; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my 334 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 And said, Cor-ne'li-us, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Jop'pa, and call hither Si'mon, whose surname is Pe'ter ; he is lodged in the house of one Si'mon a tanner by the sea-side : who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee ; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 34 Then Pe'ter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons : 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36 The word which God sent unto the children of Is'ra-el, preaching peace by Je'sus Christ : (he is Lord of all:) 37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Ju-de'a, and began from Gari-lee, after the baptism which John preached ; 38 How God anointed Je'sus of Naz'a-reth with the Holy Ghost and with power : who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil ; for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Je-ru'sa-lem ; whom they slew and hanged on a tree : 40 Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 335 and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. 43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive re- mission of sins. 44 While Pe'ter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. OCTOBER 12. The Church at Antioch. Acts xi, 19-30. 19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Ste'phen traveled as far as Phe-ni'ce, and Cy'prus, and An'ti-och, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 20 And some of them were men of Cy'prus and Cy- re'ne, which, when they were come to An'ti-och, spake unto the Gre'ci-ans, preaching the Lord Je'sus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them : and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. 22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Je-ru'sa-lem : and they sent forth Bar'na-bas, that he should go as far as An'ti-och. 23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith : and much people was added unto the Lord. 25 Then departed Bar'na-bas to Tar'sus, for to seek Saul : 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto An'ti-och. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught 336 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. much people. And the disciples were called Chris' tians first in An'ti-och. 27 And in these days came prophets from Je-ru'sa- lem unto An'ti-och. 28 And there stood up one of them named Ag'a-bus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world : which came to pass in the days of Clau'di-us Ce'sar. 29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Ju-de'a : 30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Bar'na-bas and Saul. OCTOBER 13. Peter Released from Prison. Acts xii, 1-17. 1 Now about that time He'rod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Pe'ter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him ; intending after Eas'ter to bring him forth to the people. 5 Pe'ter therefore was kept in prison : but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Her'od would have brought him forth, the same night Pe'ter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains : and the keepers before the door kept the prison. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 337 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison : and he smote Pe'ter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise np quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and hind on thy sandals : and so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him ; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel ; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city ; which opened to them of his own accord : and they went out, and passed on through one street ; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11 And when Pe'ter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Her'od, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Ma'ry the mother of John, w r hose sur- name was Mark ; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Pe'ter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Pho'da. 14 And when she knew Pe'ter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Pe'ter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Pe'ter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were as- tonished. 17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to 338 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. OCTOBER 14. The First Missionary Journey. Acts xiii, 1-12. 1 Now there were in the church that was at An'ti-och certain prophets and teachers ; as Bar'na-bas, and Sim'- e-on that was called Ni'ger, and Lu'ci-us of Cy-re'ne, and Ma-na'en, which had been brought up with Her'od the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Bar'na-bas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, de- parted unto Se-leu'ci-a ; and from thence they sailed to Cy'prus. 5 And when they were at Sal'a-mis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. 6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Pa'phos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-je'sus : 7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Ser'- gi-us Pau'lus, a prudent man ; who called for Bar'na- bas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8 But El'y-mas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 339 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord \ 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness ; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. OCTOBER 15. The Apostles at Lystra. Acts xiv, 8-20. 8 And there sat a certain man at Lys'tra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked : 9 The same heard Paul speak : who steadfastly be- holding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Ly- ca-o'ni-a, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. 12 And they called Bar'na-bas, Ju'pi-ter ; and Paul, Mer-cu'ri-us, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Ju'pi-ter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gate*, and would have done sacrifice with the people. 14 Which when the apostles, Bar'na-bas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 23 340 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things ? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein : 16 Who in times passed suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and glad- ness. 18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them. 19 And there came thither certain Jews from An'- ti-och and I-co'ni-um, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. 20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city : and the next day he departed with Bar'na-bas to Der'be. OCTOBER 16. Paul at Philippi. Acts xvi, 6-15. 6 Now when they had gone throughout Phryg'i-a and the region of Gada'ti-a, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in A'si-a, 7 After they were come to Mys'i-a, they assayed to go into Bi-thyn'i-a : but the Spirit suffered them not. 8 And they passing Mys'i-a came down to Tro'as. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night ; There stood a man of Mac-e-do r ni-a, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Mac-e-do'ni-a and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 341 endeavored to go into Mac-e-do'ni-a, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. 11 Therefore loosing from Tro'as, we came with a straight course to Sam-o-thra'ci-a, and next day to Ne- ap'o-lis ; 12 And from thence to Phil-ip'pi, which is the chief city of that part of Mac-e-do'ni-a, and a colony : and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13 And on the sabbath Ave went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made ; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. 14 And a certain woman named Lyd'i-a, a seller of purple, of the city of Thy-a-ti'ra, which worshiped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. OCTOBER 17. The Philippian Jailer. Acts xvi, 22-34. 22 And the multitude rose up together against them ; and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and com- manded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely : 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and 342 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. sang praises unto God : and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken : and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thy- self no harm : for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Je'sus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the words of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes ; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. OCTOBER 18. Thessalonians and Bereans. Acts xvii, 1-14. 1 Now when they had passed through Am-phip'o-lis and Ap-ol-lo'ni-a, they came to Thes-sa-lo-ni'ca, where was a synagogue of the Jew T s : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 343 2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead ; and that this Je'sus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Si'las ; and of the devout Greeks a great mul- titude, and of the chief women not a few. 5 But the Jews that believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an up- roar, and assaulted the house of Ja'son, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they found them not, they drew Ja'son and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also ; 7 Whom Ja'son hath received : and these all do con- trary to the decrees of Ce'sar, saying that there is another king, one Je'sus. 8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken security of Ja'son, and of the others, they let them go. 10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Si'las by night unto Be-re'a : who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thes-sa-lo- ni'ca, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honor- able women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 13 But when the Jews of Thes-sa-lo-ni'ca had knowl- edge that the Avord of God was preached of Paul at 344 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. Be-re'a, they came thither also, and stirred up the peo- ple. 14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea : but Silas and Ti-mo'- the-us abode there still. OCTOBER 19. The Coming of the Lord. 1 Thess. iv, 13-v, 6. 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, breth- ren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Je'sus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Je'sus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which, are alive and remain unto the com- ing of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God : and the dead in Christ shall rise first : 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air : and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety ; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child ; and they shall not escape. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 345 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day : we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. OCTOBER 20. Paul at Athens. Acts xvii, 22-34. 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Ath'ens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UN- KNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly wor- ship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands ; 25 Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things ; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath de- termined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation ; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply the)' might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us : 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our be- ing; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto 346 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; but now commandeth all men every- where to repent : 31 Because he bath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assur- ance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked : and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and be- lieved : among the which was Di-o-nys'i-us the A-re- op'a-gite, and a woman named Dam'a-ris, and others with them. OCTOBER 21. Paul at Corinth. Acts xviii, 1-11. 1 After these things Paul departed from Ath'ens, and came to Cor'inth ; 2 And found a certain Jew named A-quil'a, born in Pon'tus, lately come from It'a-ly with his wife Pris- cil'la, (because that Clau'di-us had commanded allJews to depart from Pome,) and came unto them. 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought : for by their occupation they were tent-makers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Ti-mo'the-us were come from Mac-e-do'ni-a, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testi- fied to the Jews that Je'sus was Christ. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 34-7 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blas- phemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads ; I am clean : from henceforth I will go unto the Gen'tiles. 7 And he departed thence, and entered into a cer- tain man's house, named Jus'tus, one that worshiped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 8 And Cris'pus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house ; and many of the Co-rin'thi-ans hearing believed, and were baptized. 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace : 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee : for I have much people in this city. 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. OCTOBER 22, Paul at Ephesus. Acts xix, 1-10. 1 Axd it came to pass, that, while A-pol'los was at Cor'inth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Eph'e-sus ; and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Je'sus, 348 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Je'sus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them ; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve. 8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. 9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he de- parted from them, and separated the disciples, disput- ing daily in the school of one Ty-ran'nus. 10 And this continued by the space of two years ; so that all they which dwelt in A'si-a heard the word of the Lord Je'sus, both. Jews and Greeks. OCTOBER 23. The Fkxjits of the Spirit. Gal. v, 22-vi, 10. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance : against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another. 1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness ; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 349 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in an- other. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived ; God is not mocked : for whatso- ever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well-doing : for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. OCTOBER 24. Justification by Faith. Rom. v, 1-11. 1 TiierefoPwE being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Je'sus Christ : 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also ; knowing that tribulation worketh patience ; 4 And patience, experience ; and experience, hope : 5 And hope maketh not ashamed ; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 350 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die : yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were recon- ciled to God by the death of his Son ; much more, be- ing reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Je'sus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. OCTOBER 25. The Safety of the Believer. Rom. viii, 28-39. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predes- tinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. 30 Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called : and whom he called, them he also justi- fied : and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things ? If God be for us, who can be against us ? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things ? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 351 3-4 Who is he that condemnetb ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for ns. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword '{ 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nav, in all these things we are more than con- querors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Je'sus our Lord. OCTOBER 26. Counsels to Christians. Rom. xii, 1-13. 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and per- fect will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think so- berly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office : 352 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith ; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering ; or he that teacheth, on teaching ; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation : he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity ; he that ruleth, with diligence ; he that showeth mercy, with cheerful- ness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil ; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with broth- erly love ; in honor preferring one another ; 11 Not slothful in business ; fervent in spirit; serv- ing the Lord ; 12 Rejoicing in hope ; patient in tribulation ; con- tinuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints ; given to hospitality. OCTOBER 27. The Preaching of the Cross. 1 Cor. i, 18-31. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness ; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise ? where is the scribe ? where is the clisputer of this world ? hath not God made fool- ish the wisdom of this world ? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 353 wisdom knew not Gfod, it pleased God by the foolish- ness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom : 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men ; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise ; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are misditv; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are : 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Je'sus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctifica- tion, and redemption : 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. OCTOBER 28. Christian Love. 1 Cor. xiii, 1-13. 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 354: SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and un- derstand all mysteries, and all knowledge ; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind ; charity envieth not ; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil ; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth : but whether there be prophe- cies, they shall foil ; whether there be tongues, they shall cease ; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I under- stood as a child, I thought as a child : but when I be- came a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly ; but then face to face : now I know in part ; but then shall I know even as also I am knowm. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three ; but the greatest of these is charitv. OCTOBER 29. The Resukkection of the Dead. 1 Cor. xv, 50-58. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God ; neither doth cor- ruption inherit incorruption. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 355 « 51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump : for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incor- ruption, aud this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? 56 The sting of death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the vic- tory through our Lord Je'sas Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. OCTOBER 30. The Seen and the Unseen. 2 Cor. iv, 6-18. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Je'sus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed ; we are j^erplexed, but not in despair ; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken ; cast down, but not destroyed ; 24 356 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Je'sus, that the life also of Je'sus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Je'sus 7 sake, that the life also of Je'sus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken ; we also believe, and therefore speak ; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Je'sus shall raise up us also by Je'sus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abun- dant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by clay. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a mo- ment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not seen are eternal. OCTOBER 31. Christian Giving. 2 Cor. ix, 6-15. 6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly ; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 357 so let hi in give ; not grudgingly, or of necessity : for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you ; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work : 9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad ; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth forever. 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness :) 11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountiful- ness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but i9 abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God ; 13 While by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto ali men; 14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be unto God for this unspeakable gift 358 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. NOVEMBER 1. Rehoboam's Reign over Judah. 2 Chron. xii, 1-12. 1 And it came to pass when Re-ho-bo'am had estab- lished the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Is'ra-el with him. 2 And it came to pass that, in the fifth year of king Re-ho-bo'ani, Shi'shak king of E'gypt came up against Je-ru'sa-lem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, 3 AYith twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thou- sand horsemen : and the people were without number that came with him out of E'gypt ; the Lu'bim, the Suk'ki-im, and the E-thi-o'pi-ans. 4 And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Ju'dah, and came to Je-ru'sa-lem. 5 Then came Sheni-a-i'ah the prophet to Re-ho-bo'am, and to the princes of Ju'dah, that were gathered to- gether to Je-ru'sa-lem because of Shi'shak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shi'shak. 6 Whereupon the princes of Is'ra-el and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous. 7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled them- selves, the word of the Lord came to Shem-a-i'ah, say- ing, They have humbled themselves ; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliver- ance ; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Je- ru'sa-lem by the hand of Shi'shak. 8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants ; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 359 9 So Shi'shak king of E'gypt came up against Je-ru'- sa-lem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house ; he took all : he carried away also the shields of gold which Sol'- o-raon had made. 10 Instead of which king Re-ho-bo'ani made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house. 1 1 And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard-chamber. 12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Loud turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether : and also in Ju'dah things went well. NOVEMBER 2. Asa's Reformation. 2 Chron. xiv, 1-12. 1 So A-bi'jah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Da'vid : and A'sa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years. 2 And A'sa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God : 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves : 4 And commanded Ju'dah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the command- ment. 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Ju'dah the high places and the images : and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6 And he built fenced cities in Ju'dah : for the land 360 . SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. had rest, and he had no war in those years ; because the Lord had given him rest. 7 Therefore he said unto Ju'dah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls and towers, gates and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered. 8 And A'sa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Ju'dah three hundred thousand ; and out of Ben'ja-inin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand : all these were mighty men of valor. 9 And there came out against them Ze'rah the E-thi- o'pi-an with a host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots ; and came unto Ma-re'shah. 10 Then A'sa w^ent out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zeph'a-thah at Ma-re'shah. 11 And A'sa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power : help us, O Lord our God ; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God ; let not man prevail against thee. 12 So the Lord smote the E-thi-o'pi-ans before A'sa, and before Ju'dah ; and the E-thi-o'pi-ans fled. NOVEMBER 3. Jehoshaphat's Prayer. 2 Chron. xx, 2-13. 2 Then there came some that told Je-hosh'a-phat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syr'i-a ; and, behold, they be in Haz'a-zon-ta'mar, which is En-ge'di. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 361 3 And Je-hosh'a-phat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Ju'dali. 4 And Ju'dah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord : even out of all the cities of Ju'dah they came to seek the Lord. 5 And Je-hosh'a-phat stood in the congregation of Ju'dah and Je-ru'sa-lem, in the house of the Lord, be- fore the new court, 6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven ? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen ? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee ? 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Is'ra-el, and gavest it to the seed of A'bra-ham thy friend forever ? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judg- ment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10 And now, behold, the children of Am'mon and Mo'ab and mount Se'ir, whom thou wouldest not let Is'ra- el invade, when they came out of the land of E'gypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us ; neither know we what to do : but our eyes are upon thee. 13 And all Ju'dah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 362 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. NOVEMBER 4. Jehoshaphat Delivered. 2 Chron. xx, 14-24. 14 Then upon Ja-ha'zi-el the son of Zech-a-ri'ah, the son of Ben-a'iah, the son of Je-i'el, the son of Mat-ta- ni'ah, a Le'vite of the sons of A'saph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation ; 15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Ju'dah, and ye in- habitants of Je-ru'sa-leni, and thou king Je-hosh'a-phat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dis- mayed by reason of this great multitude ; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 To-morrow go ye down against them : behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz ; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Je-ru'el. 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle : set your- selves, stand ye still, and seethe salvation of the Lord with you, O Ju'dah and Je-ru'sa-lem : fear not, nor be dismayed ; to-morrow go out against them : for the Lord will be with yon. 18 And Je-hosh'a-phat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Ju'dah and the inhabitants of Je-ru'sa-lem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 And the Le'vites, of the children of the Ko'hath- ites, and of the children of the Kor'hites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Is'ra-el with a loud voice on high. 20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Te-ko'a : and as they went forth, Je-hosh'a-phat stood and said, Hear me, O Ju'- dah, and ye inhabitants of Je-ru'sa-lem ; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established ; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 363 appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord ; for his mercy endureth forever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ani'mon, Mo'ab, and mount Se'ir, which were come against Ju'- dah ; and they were smitten. 23 For the children of Am'mon and Mo'ab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Se'ir, utterly to slay and destroy them : and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Se'ir, every one helped to destroy another. 24 And when Ju'dah came toward the watch-tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. NOVEMBER 5. Jehoash Repairing the Temple. 2 King's xii, 1-12. 1 In the seventh year of Je'hu, Je-ho'ash began to reign ; and forty years reigned he in Je-ru'sa-lem. And his mother's name was Zib-i'ah of Be-er'she-ba. 2 And Je-ho'ash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Je-hoi'a-da the priest instructed him. 3 But the high places were not taken away : the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. 4 And Je-ho'ash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the Lord, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and 364: SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S FOR BAIL Y READING. all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the Lord, 5 Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance : and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found. 6 But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Je-ho'ash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house. 7 Then king Je-ho'ash called for Je-hoi'a-da the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house ? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but de- liver it for the breaches of the house. 8 And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house. 9 But Je-hoi'a-da the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the Lord : and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 10 And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high -priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the Lord. 11 And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the over- sight of the house of the Lord : and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the Lord. 12 And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the Lord, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 365 NOVEMBER 6. Isaiah's Vision. Isa. vi, 1-13. 1 In the year that king Uz-zi'ah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphim : each one had six wings ; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts : the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts at the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me ! for I am undone ; be- cause I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips : for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live ccal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar : 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips ; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us ? Then said I, Here am I ; send me. 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye in- deed, but understand not ; and see ye indeed, but per- ceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, 366 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, 12 And the Loed have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. 13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten : as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves : so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. NOVEMBER 7. Hezekiah the King. 2 Chron. xxix, 1-11. 1 Hez-e-ki'ah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Je-ru'sa-lem. And his mother's name was A-bi'jah, the daughter of Zech-a-ri'ah. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Da'vid his father had done. 3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them. 4 And he brought in the priests and the LeVites ; and gathered them together into the east street. 5 And saith unto them, Hear me, ye LeVites; sanc- tify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. 6 For our fathers have trespassed and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs. 7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 367 nor offered burnt-offerings in the holy place unto the God of Is'ra-el. 8 Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Ju'dah and Je-ru'sa-lem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. 9 For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in cap- tivity for this. 10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Is'ra-el, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, be not now negligent : for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn in- cense. NOVEMBER S. Hezekiah's Sickness. 2 Kings xx, 1-11. 1 In those days was Hez-e-ki'ah sick unto death. And the prophet I-sa'iah the son of A'moz came to him and said unto hirn, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order ; for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, 3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hez-e-ki'ah wept sore. 4 And it came to pass, afore I-sa'iah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 Turn again, and tell Hez-e-ki'ah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Da'vid thy 368 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears : behold, I will heal thee : on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. 6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years ; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of As-syr'i-a ; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant Da'vid's sake. 7 And I-sa'iah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 8 And Hez-e-ki'ah said unto I-sa'iah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day ? 9 And I-sa'iah said. This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken : shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees ? 10 And Hez-e-ki'ah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees : nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. 11 And I-sa'iah the prophet cried unto the Lord : and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of A'haz. NOVEMBER 9. Isaiah's Exhortation. Isa. i, 1-18. 1 The vision of I-sa'iah the son of A'moz, which he saw concerning Ju'dah and Je-ru'sa-lein in the days of Uz-zi'ah, Jo'tharn, A'haz, and Hez-e-ki'ah, kings of Ju'dah. 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth : for the Lord hath spoken ; I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his mas- SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 369 ter's crib : but Is'ra-el doth not know, my people doth not consider. 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupters ; they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Is'ra-el unto anger, they are gone away back- ward. 5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will re- volt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it ; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire : your land, strangers devour it in your pres- ence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8 And the daughter of Zi'on is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Except the Lord of hosts had unto left us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sod'om, and we should have been like unto Go-mor'rah. 10 Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sod'om ; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Go- mor'rah. 11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacri- fices unto me ? saith the Lord : I am full of the burnt- offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts ? 13 Bring no more vain oblation ; incense is an abom- ination unto me ; the new moons and sabbaths, the SiO SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. calling of assemblies, I cannot away with ; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth ; they are a trouble unto me ; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you ; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear : your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes ; cease to do evil ; 17 Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord ; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. INTOVKMBBR lO. The Coming Redeemer. Isa. ix, 2-7. 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy : they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Mid'i-an. 5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood ; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given : and the government shall be upon his shoulder : and SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR BAIL Y READING. 371 his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of Da'vid, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judg- ment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. NOVEMBER 1 1 . Messiah's Kingdom. Isa. xi, 1-10. 1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jes'se, and a branch shall stow out of his roots ; 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord ; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord : and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears : 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth : and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed ; their young 25 372 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. ones shall lie down together : and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain : for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jes'se, which shall stand for an ensign of the people ; to it shall the Gen'tiles seek : and his rest shall be glorious. NOVEMBER 12. The Way of Holiness. Isa. xxxv, 1-10. 1 The wild eru ess and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing : the glory of Leb'a-non shall be given unto it, the excellency of Car'mel and Sha'ron ; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. 8 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4 Say to them that are of a feaiful heart, Be strong, fear not : behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense ; he will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing : for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 373 7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water : in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8 And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness ; the unclean shall not pass over it ; but it shall be for those : the wayfar- ing men, though fools, shall not err therein. 9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there ; but the redeemed shall walk there : 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zi'on with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads : they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. NOVEMBER 13. Comfort to God's People. Isa. xl, 1-11. 1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Je-ru'sa-lem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned : for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. 3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mount- ain and hill shall be made low : and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain : 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 374 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry ? All flesh is grass, and all the godliness thereof is as the flower of the field : 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth ; because the spirit of the Loed bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth : but the word of our God shall stand forever. 9 O Zi'on, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain ; O Je-ru'sa-lem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength ; lift it up, be not afraid ; say unto the cities of Ju'dah, Behold your God! 10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him : behold, his re- ward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd : he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them m his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. NOVEMBER 14. The Atoning Savioub. Isa. liii, 1-12. 1 "Who hath believed our report ? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground : he hath no form nor comeliness ; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men ; a man of sor- rows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him ; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 375 sorrows : yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities : the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray ; we have turned every one to his own way ; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth : he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation ? for he was cut off out of the land of the living : for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death ; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 1 1 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied : by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many ; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong ; because he hath poured out his soul unto death : and he was numbered with the transgressors ; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the trans- gressors. 376 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. NOVEMBER 15. The Everlastings Covenant. Isa. lv, 1-12. 1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye, buy, and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread ? and your labor for that which satisfieth not ? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live ; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of Da'vid. 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peo- ple, a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Is'ra-el ; for he hath glorified thee. 6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near : 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unright- eous man his thoughts : and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain comet h down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater : SCRIPTURE SELECTIOXS FOR DAILY READIXG. 377 11 So shall my word be that goetli forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace : the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. NOVEMBER 16. Salvation for the Gentiles. Isa. lx, 1-10. 1 Arise, shine ; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people : but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gen'tiles shall come to their light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. i Lift up thine eyes round about, and see : all they gather themselves together, they come to thee : thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged ; because the abun- dance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gen'tiles shall come unto thee. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Mid'i-an and E'phah : all they from She'ba shall come : they shall bring gold and incense ; and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Ke'dar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Ne-ba'ioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine al- tar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. 378 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows ? 9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tar'shish first, to bring thy sous from far, their silver and their gold with them,, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Is'ra-el, because he hath glorified thee. 10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee : for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. NOVEMBER 17. Josiah the Young Reformer. 2 Chron. xxxiv, 1-8. 1 Jo-si'ah was eight years old w r hen he began to reign, and he reigned in Je-ru'sa-lem one and thirty years. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of Da'vid his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of Da'vid his father : and in the twelfth year he began to purge Ju'dah and Je-ru'sa-lem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. 4 And they brake down the altars of Ba'al-im in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down ; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. 5 And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Ju'dah and Je-ru'sa-lem. 6 And so did he in the cities of Ma-nas'seh, and SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 379 E'phra-im, and Sini'e-on, even unto Naph'ta-li, with their mattocks round about. 7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into pow- der, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Is'ra-el, he returned to Je-ru'sa-lem. 8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Sha'phan the son of Az-a-li'ah, and Ma-a-sei'ah the governor of the city, and Jo'ah the son of Jo'a-haz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. NOVEMBER 18. The Book of the Law Found. 2 Chron. xxxiv, 14-28. 14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hil-ki'ah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Mo'ses. 15 And Hil-ki'ah answered and said to Sha'phan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hil-ki'ah delivered the book to Sha'phan. 16 And Sha'phan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it. 17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen. 18 Then Sha'phan the scribe told the king, saying, Hil-ki'ah the priest hath given me a book. And Sha'- phan read it before the king. 19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. 380 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 20 And the king commanded Hil-ki'ah, and A-hi'kani the son of Sha'phan, and Ab'don the son of Mi'cah, and Sha'phan the scribe, and As-a-i'ah a servant of the king's, saying, 21 Go, inquire of the Lord forme, and for them that are left in Is'ra-el and in Ju'dah, concerning the words of the book that is found : for great is the wrath of the Lord that is ponred out upon us, because onr fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book. 22 And Hil-ki'ah, and they that the king had ap- pointed, went to Hul'dah the prophetess, the wife of Shal'lum the son of Tik'vath, the son of Has'rah, keeper of the wardrobe ; (now she dwelt in Je-ru'sa-lem in the college;) and they spake to her to that effect. 23 And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Is'ra-el, Tell ye the man that sent you to me, 24 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I w x ill bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Ju'dah : 25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands ; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. 26 And as for the king of Ju'dah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Is'ra-el concerning the words which .thou hast heard; 27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me ; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 3P L 28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again. NOVEMBER 19. Jeremiah Called. Jer. i, 7-19. 7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child : for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces : for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. 9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. 11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jer-e-mi'ah, what seest thou ? And I said, I see a rod of an almond- tree. 12 Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen : for I will hasten my word to perform it. 13 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou ? And I said, I see a seething-pot ; and the face thereof is toward the north. 14 Then the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord ; and they shall come, and 382 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Je-ru'sa-lem, and against all the walls there- of round about, and against all the cities of Ju'dah. 16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and wor- shiped the works of their own hands. 17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee : be not dis- mayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Ju'dah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee ; for I am with thee, saith the Loed, to deliver thee. NOVEMBER 20. The Sin of Judah. Jer. xvii, 1-10. 1 The sin of Ju'dah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond : it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars ; 2 Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. 3 O my mountain in the field, I will give thy sub- stance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. 4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee ; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not : for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn forever. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 333 5 Thus saith the Lord ; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh ; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green ; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. • 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and des- perately wicked : who can know it ? 10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. NOVEMBER 21. The Captivity of Judah. 2 Chron. xxxvi, 11-21. 11 Zed-e-ki'ah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Je-ru'sa- lem. 12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jer-e-mi'ah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. 13 And he also rebelled against king Neb-u-chad- nez'zar, who had made him swear by God : but he stiff- ened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Is'ra-el. 384: SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the peo- ple, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen ; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Je-ru'sa-lem. 15 And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending ; be- cause he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place : 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedv. 17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chal'dees, who slew their young men wdth the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age : he gave them all into his hand. » 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Bab'y-lon. 19 And thev burnt the house of God,, and brake down the wall of Je-ru'sa-lem, and burnt all the pal- aces thereof w 7 ith fire, and destroyed all the goodly ves- sels thereof. 20 And them that had escaped from the sword car- ried he away to Bab'y-lon ; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Per'si-a : 21 To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jer-e-mi'ah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths : for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to ful- fill threescore and ten years. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 3S5 NOVEMBER 22. By the Rivers of Babylon. Psa. cxxxvii, 1-6. 1 By the rivers of Bab'y-lon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zi'on. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song ; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zi'on. 4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? 5 If I forget thee, O Je-ru'sa-lem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth ; if I prefer not Je-ru'sa-lem above my chief joy. NOVEMBER 23. The Watchman's Voice. Ezek. xxxiii, 1-11. 1 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman : 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people ; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning ; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning ; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 386 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned ; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. 7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Is'ra-el ; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die ; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity ; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it ; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity ; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Is'ra-el; Thus ye speak, saying, If our trans- gressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live % 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways ; for why will ye die, O house of Is'ra-el? NOVEMBER 2A. Daniel's Pukpose. Dan. i, 8-21. 8 But Dan'iel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank : therefore he re- quested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God had brought Dan'iel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 387 10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Dan'iel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink : for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort ? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. 11 Then said Dan'iel to Mel'zar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Dan'iel, Han-a-ni'ah, Mi-sha'el, and Az-a-ri'ah, 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days ; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenance be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king s meat : and as thou seest deal with thy servants. 14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. 16 Thus Mel'zar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. 17 As for these four children, God gave them knowl- edge and skill in all learning and wisdom : and Dan'iel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Neb-u-chad-nez'zar. 19 And the king communed with them ; and among them all was found none like Dan'iel, Han-a-ni'ah, Mi-sha'- el, and Az-a-ri'ah : therefore stood they before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. 21 And Dan'iel continued even unto the first year of king Cy'rus. 2C 388 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. : NOVEMBER 25. Belshazzar's Vision. Dan. v, 1-12. 1 Bel-shaz'zar the king made a great feast to a thou- sand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 Bel-shaz'zar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Neb-u-chad-nez'zar had taken out of the temple which was in Je-ru'sa-lem ; that the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines, might drink therein. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Je-ru'sa-lem ; and the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines, drank in them. 4 They drank w T ine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace : and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chal-de'ans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Bab'y-lon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation there- of, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8 Then came in all the king's wise men : but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. 9 Then was king Bel-shaz'zar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 389 10 Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet-house : and the queen spake and said, O king, live forever : let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods ; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him ; whom the king Neb-u- chad-nez'zar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chal-de'ans, and soothsayers ; 12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Dan'iel, whom the king named Bel-te-shaz'- zar : now let Dan'iel be called, and he will show the interpretation. intqvemvibe^r 2€>. Daniel's Interpretation. Dan. v, 17-31. 17 Then Dan'iel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to an- other ; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O thou king, the most high God gave Neb-u- chad-nez'zar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor : 19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him : whom he would he slew ; and whom he would he kept alive ; and whom he would he set up ; and whom he would he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind 390 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. hardened in pride, lie was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him : 21 And he was driven from the sons of men ; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they. fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven ; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22 And thou his son, O Bel-shaz'zar, hast not hum- bled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven ; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them ; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified : 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, ME'NE, ME'NE, TE'KEL, U-PHAR'SIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing : ME'NE ; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TE'KEL ; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PE'RES ; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Per'si-ans. 29 Then commanded Bel-shaz'zar, and they clothed Dan'iel w T ith scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 In that night was Bel-shaz'zar the king of the Chal-de'ans slain. 31 And Da-ri'us the Me'di-an took the kingdom, be- ing about threescore and two years old. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 391 NOVEMBER 27. Daniel in the Den of Lions. Dan. vi, 10-23. 10 Now when Dan'iel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house ; and, his windows being open in his chamber toward Je-ru'sa-lem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 1 1 Then these men assembled, aud found Dan iel pray ing and making supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree ; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any god or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions ? The kin^ answered and said, The tiling is true, according to the law of the Medes and Per'si-ans, which altereth not. 13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Dan'iel, which is of the children of the captivity of Ju'dah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh hi* petition three times a day. 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, wafe sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Dan'- iel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Per'si-ans is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. 16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Dan'iel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Dan'iel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the 392 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAIIY READING. mouth of the den ; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords ; that the pur- pose might not be changed concerning Dan'iel. 18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him : and his sleep went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Dan'iel : and the king spake and said to Dan'iel, O Dan'iel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to de- liver thee from the lions ? 21 Then said Dan'iel unto the king, O king, live forever. 22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions 1 mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me ; and also be- fore thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Dan'iel up out of the den. So Dan'iel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he be- lieved in his God. NOVEMBER 28. When the Lord Turned Again. Psa. cxxvi. 1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zi'on, we were like them that dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing : then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. 8 The Lord hath done great things for us ; whereof we are glad. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 393 4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bring- ing his sheaves with him. NOVEMBER 29. The Return from Captivity. Ezra i, 1-6. 1 Now in the first year of Cy'rus king of Per'si-a, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jer-e-mi'ah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cy'rus king of Per'si-a, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cy'rus king of Per'si-a, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth ; and he hath charged me to build him a house at Je-ru'- sa-lem, which is in Ju'dah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people ? his God be with him, and let him go up to Je-ru'sa-lem, which is in Ju'dah, and build the house of the Lord God of Is'- ra-el, (he is the God,) which is in Je-ru'sa-lem. 4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the free-Avill offering for the house of God that is in Je-ru'sa-lem. 5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Ju'dah and Ben'ja-min, and the priests, and the Le'vites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Je-ru'sa-lem. 6 And all they that were about them strengthened 394 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered. NOVEMBER 30. The Coming of the Messenger. Mai. iii, 16-iv, 6. 16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another : and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day Avhen I make up my jewels ; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.. 1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven ; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings ; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked ; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the clay that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. 4 Remember ye the law of Mo'ses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Ho'reb for all Is'ra-el, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you E-li'jah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 395 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to tin- children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. THANKSGIVING DAY. Sing unto the Lord. Psa. xcvi. 1 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name ; show forth his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. 4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised : he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him : strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. 8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name : bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness : fear before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth : the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved : he shall judge the people righteously. 11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad ; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof. 12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice 13 Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth : he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. 396 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. DECEMBER 1. Paul at Troas. Acts xx, 6-16. 6 And we sailed away from Phil-ip'pi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Tro'as in five days ; where we abode seven days. 7 And upon the first day of the week, when the dis- ciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow ; and con- tinued his speech until midnight. 8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. 9 And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eu'ty-chus, being fallen into a deep sleep : and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and em- bracing him said, Trouble not yourselves ; for his life is in him. 11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long .while, even till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. 13 And we went before to ship, and sailed unto As'- sos, there intending to take in Paul : for so had he ap- pointed, minding himself to go afoot. 14 And when he met with us at As'sos, we took him in, and came to Mit-y-le'ne. 15 And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chi'os; and the next day we arrived at Sa'mos, SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 397 and tarried at Tro-gyl'li-um ; and the next day we came to Mi-le'tus. 16 For Paul had determined to sail by Eph'e-sus, be- cause he would not spend the time in A'si-a : for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Je-ru'sa-lem the day of Pen'te-cost. DECEMBER 2. Paul at Miletus. Acts xx, 17-27. 17 And from Mi-le'tus he sent to Eph'e-sus, and called the elders of the church. 18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know r , from the first day that I came into A'si-a, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, 19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in w r ait of the Jews : 20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable onto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, 21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Je'sus Christ. 22 And now behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Je-ru'sa-lem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there : 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Je'sus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 398 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 25 And now behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. 26 Wherefore I take yon to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. DECEMBER 3. Paul at Miletus. Acts xx, 28-38. 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I cease not to warn every one night and day with tears. 32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. 33 1 have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 35 I have showed you all things, how that so labor- ing ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Je'sus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 399 36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. 37 x\nd they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, 38 Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship. DECEMBER 4. Paul's Journey to Jerusalem. Acts xxi, 3-15. 3 Now when we had discovered Cy'prus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syr'i-a, and landed at Tyre : for there the ship was to unlade her burden. 4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days : who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Je-ru'sa-lem. 5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way ; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city : and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. 6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again. 7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptol-e-ma'is, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. 8 And the next day we that were of Paul's com- pany departed, and came unto Ces-a-re'a ; and we en- tered into the house of Phil'ip the evangelist, which was one of the seven ; and abode with him. 9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Ju-de'a a certain prophet, named Ag'a-bus. 400 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Je-ru'- sa-lem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gen'tiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Je-ru'- sa-lem. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart ? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Je-ru'sa-lem for the name of the Lord Je'sus. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. 15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Je-ru'sa-lem. DECEMBER 5. Paul's Arrest. Acts xxi, 27-40. 27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of A'si-a, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, 28 Crying out, Men of Is'ra-el, help : This is the man, that teacheth all men every-where against the people, and the law, and this place : and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. 29 For they had seen before with him in the city Troph'i-mus an E-phe'si-an, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. 30 And all the city was moved and the people ran together : and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple : and forthwith the doors were shut. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 401 31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Je-ru'sa-lem was in an uproar : 32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. 33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude : and when he could not know the cer- tainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. 37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee ? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek ? 38 Art not thou that E-gyp'tian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilder- ness four thousand men that were murderers ? 39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tar'sus, a city in Ci-li'ci-a, a citizen of no mean city : and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. 40 And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the peo- ple. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the He'brew tongue. 402 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING, DECEMBER 6. Paul in the Castle. Acts xxii, 17-29. 1 7 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Je-ru'sa-lem, even while. I prayed in the temple I was in a trance ; 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Je-ru'sa-lem : for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Ste'phen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart : for I will send thee far hence unto the Gen'tiles. 22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth : for it is not fit that he should live. 23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging ; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Ro'man, and uncondemned ? 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest ; for this man is a Ro'man. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a E-o'man ? He said, Yea. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 403 28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was f ree born. 29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him : and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Ro'man, and because he had bound him. DECEMBER 7. Paul before Felix. Acts xxiv, 10-27. 10 Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself : 11 Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Je-ru'sa-lem for to worship. 12 And they neither found me in the temple disput- ing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city : 13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. 14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets : 15 And have hope toward God, which they them- selves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. 16 And herein do 1 exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men. 17 Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. 27 404 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 18 Whereupon certain Jews from A'si-a found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult. 19 Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had aught against me. 20 Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council, 21 Except it be for this one voice, that I cried stand- ing among them,, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day. 22 And when Fe'lix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lys'i-as the chief captain shall come down, I will 'know the uttermost of your matter. 23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. 24 And after certain days, when Fe'lix came with his wife Dru-sil'la, which was a Jew'ess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Fe'lix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time ; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. 26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him : where- fore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. 27 But after two years Por'cius Fes'tus came into Fe'lix' room: and Fe'lix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 405 DECEMBER 8. Paul before Agrippa. Acts xxvi, 1-18. 1 Then A-grip'pa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2 I think myself happy, king A-grip'pa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews : 3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews : wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at first among mine own nation at Je-ru'sa-lem, know all the Jews ; 5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Phar'i-see. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers : 7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king A-grip'pa, I am accused of the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible w T ith you, that God should raise the dead? 9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Je'sus of Naz'a- reth. 10 Which thing I also did in Je-ru'sa-lem : and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priest ; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme ; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 406 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 12 Whereupon as I went to Da-rnas'cus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the He'brew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Je'sus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have ap- peared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a min- ister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee ; 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gen'tiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from dark- ness to light, and from the power of Sa'tan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inherit- ance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. DECEMBER 9. Agrippa and Paul. Acts xxvi, 19-32. 19 Whereupon, O king A-grip'pa, I was not disobe- dient unto the heavenly vision : 20 But showed first unto them of Da-mas'cus, and at Je-ru'sa-lem, and throughout all the coast of Ju-de'a, and then to the Gen'tiles, that they should repent and tarn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the tem- ple, and went about to kill me. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 407 22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I con- tinue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Mo'sea did say should come : 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the peojjle, and to the Gen 'tiles. 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Fes'tus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself ; much learning doth make thee mad. 25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Fes'tus ; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him ; for this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King A-grip'pa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then A-grip'pa said unto Paul, Almost thou per- suadest me to be a Chris'tian. 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. 30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Ber-ni'ce, and they that sat with them : 31 And when they were gone aside, they talked be- tween themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing wor- thy of death or bonds. 32 Then said A-grip'pa unto Fes'tus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Ce'sar. 408 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. DECEMBER lO. The Voyage. Acts xxvii, 1-13. 1 A^d when it was determined that we should sail into It'a-ly, they delivered Paul and certain other pris- oners unto one named Ju'li-us, a centurion of Au-gus'- tus' band. 2 And entering into a ship of Ad-ra-myt'ti-um, we launched, meaning to sail by the coast of A'si-a ; one Ar-is-tar'chus, a Mac-e-do'ni-an of Thes-sa-lo-ni'ca, being with us. 3 And the next day we touched at Si'don. And Ju'- li-us courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. 4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cy'prus, because the winds were contrary. 5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Ci-li'ci-a and Pam-phyl'i-a, we came to My'ra, a city of Ly'ci-a. 6 And there the centurion found a ship of Al-ex-an'- dri-a sailing into It'a-ly ; and he put us therein. 7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cni'dus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Sal- mo'ne ; 8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called the Fair Ha'vens ; nigh whereunto was the city of La-se'a. 9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, 10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. 11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING '. 409 12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phe-ni'ce, and there to winter; which is a haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south-west and north-west. 13 And when the south wind blew softly, suppos- ing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. DECEMBER 1 1 . Paul in the Storm. Acts xxvii, 14-28. 14 But not Ions: after there arose against it a tem- pestuous wind, called Eu-roc'ly-don. 15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under a certain island which is called Clau'da, we had much work to come by the boat : 17 Which when they had taken up, they usL j d helps, undergirding the ship ; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days ap- peared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. 21 But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 410 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before Ce'sar : and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer : for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. DECEMBER 12. The Shipwreck. Acts xxvii, 33-44. 33 And while the day w r as coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat ; for this is for your health : for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all ; and wdien he had broken it, he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred three- score and sixteen souls. 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. 39 And when it was day, they knew not the land : but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they w^ere minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. 40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rud- SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 411 der bands, and boised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. 41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground ; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained immovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 42 And the soldiers 1 counsel was to kill the prison- ers, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose ; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land : 44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. DECEMBER 13. Paul at Melita. Acts xxviii, 1-10. 1 A:nt> when they were escaped, then they knew that the island w r as called Me-li'ta. 2 And the barbarous people showed us no little kind- ness : for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suifereth not to live. 5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly : but after they had 412 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. 7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Pub'li-us ; who re- ceived us, and lodged us three days courteously. 8 And it came to pass, that the father of PuMi-us lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux : to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. 9 So when this was done, others also, which had dis- eases in the island, came, and were healed : 10 Who also honored us with many honors; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. DECEMBER 13L. Paul at Rome. Acts xxviii, 16-31. 16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion deliv- ered the prisoners to the captain of the guard : but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. 17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together : and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Je-ru'sa-lem into the hands of the Ko'- mans : 18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there Avas no cause of death in me. 19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was con- strained to appeal unto Ce'sar ; not that I had aught to accuse my nation of. 20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 413 see you, and to speak with you : because that for the hope of Is'ra-el I am bound with this chain. 21 And they said unto him, AVe neither received letters out of Ju-de'a concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came showed or spake any harm of thee. 22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest : for as concerning this sect, we know that every-where it is spoken against. 23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging ; to whom he ex- pounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Je'sus, both out of the law of Mo'ses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by E-sa'ias the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand ; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive : 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed ; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gen'tiles, and that they will hear it. 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews de- parted, and had great reasoning among themselves. 30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him. 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Je'sus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. 414 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. DECEMBER 15. Reconciliation with God. Eph. ii, 4-22. 4 But God, wlio is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved,) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Je'sus. 7 That in the ages to come he might show the ex- ceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Je'sus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God : 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Je'sus unto good works, which God hath before or- dained that we should, walk in them. 11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gen'tiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Is'ra-el, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world : 13 But now, in Christ Je'sus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us ; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances ; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace ; SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 415 16 And that he raiofht reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmit}^ thereby : 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were niidi. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and for- eigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God ; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Je'sus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone ; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord : 22 In whom ye also are builded together for a habi- tation of God through the Spirit. DECEMBER 16. The Perfect Man. Eph. iv, 7-16. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace accord- ing to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth ? 10 He that descended is the same also that as- cended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 416 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doc- trine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive ; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ : 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, ac- cording to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edify- ing of itself in love. DECEMBER 17. The Mind op Christ. Phil, ii, 5-16. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Je'sus : 6 Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God : 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men : 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name : 10 That at the name of Je'sus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Je'sus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 417 12 Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in ray presence only, but now much more in ray absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling : 13 Now it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and dis- putings : 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world ; 16 Holding forth the word of life ; that I may re- joice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. DECEMBER 18. Risen with Christ. Col. iii, 1-15. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth ; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry : 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience : 7 In the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them. 418 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. .8 But now ye also put off all these ; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds ; 10 And have put on the new man, which is re- newed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circum- cision nor uncircumcision, Bar-ba'ri-an, Scyth'i-an, bond nor free : but Christ is all and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one an- other, if any man have a quarrel against any : even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body ; and be ye thankful. DECEMBER 19. Godliness with Contentment. 1 Tim. vi, 6-16. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 419 which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things ; and follow after righteousness, godliness, , faith, love, pa- tience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Je'sus, who be- fore Pon'ti-us Pi'late witnessed a good confession ; 14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Je'sus Christ : 15 Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords ; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ; whom no man hath seen, nor can see : to whom be honor and power ever- lasting. Amen. DECEMBER 20. Paul's Last Charge. 2 Tim. iv, 1-8. 1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Je'sus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom ; 2 Preach the word ; be instant in season, out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine ; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears ; 28 420 SCRIPTURE' SELECTIONS FOR BAIL Y READING. 4 And the*y shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith : 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. DECEMBER 21. The Precious Blood. 1 Pet. i, 13-25. 13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Je'sus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation ; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without re- spect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not re- deemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers ; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot : SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 421 20 Who verily was fore-ordained before the founda- tion of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory ; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away : 25 But the word of the Lord en dure th forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. DECEMBER 22 % The Complete Christian. 2 Pet. i, 1-11. 1 Si'mon Pe'ter, a servant and an apostle of Je'sus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Sav- lour Je'sus Christ : 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Je'sus our Lord. 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue : 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers 422 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. qf the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue ; and to virtue, knowledge ; 6 And to knowledge, temperance ; and to temper- ance, patience ; and to patience, godliness ; 7 And to godliness, brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness, charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Je'sus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and can- not see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall : 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Je'sus Christ. DECEMBER 23. The Son of God. Heb. i, 1-14. 1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, % Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds ; 3 Who, being the brightness of his glory and the ex- press image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high ; . SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 423 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee ? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son '? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his an- gels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever : a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniq- uity ; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth : and the heavens are the works of thine hands. 11 They shall perish, but thou remainest : and they all shall wax old as doth a garment ; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed : but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool ? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ? 424: SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. DECEMBER 2A. The Triumphs of Faith. Heb. xi, 12-26. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in mul- titude, and as the sand which is by the sea-shore innu- merable. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were per- suaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that coun- try from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly : wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God : for he hath prepared for them a city. 17 By faith A'bra-ham, when he was tried, offered up I'saac : and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in I'saac shall thy seed be called : 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead ; from whence also he received him in a figure. 20 By faith I'saac blessed Ja'cob and E'sau concern- ing things to come. 21 By faith Ja'cob, when he w 7 as a dying, blessed both the sons of Jo'seph ; and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff. 22 By faith Jo'seph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Is'ra-el ; and gave com- mandment concerning his bones. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 425 23 By faith Mo'ses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child ; and they were not afraid, of the king's command- ment. 24 By faith Mo'ses, when he was come to years, re- fused to be called the son of Pha'raoh's daughter ; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the peo- ple of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; • 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in E'gypt : for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. DECEMBER 25. Christmas Reading. Isa. ix, 2-7. 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy : they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Mid'i-an. 5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood ; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there 426 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY REAVING. shall be no end, upon the throne of Da'vid, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judg- ment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. DECEMBER 26. The Privilege of Believers. 1 John i, 1-10. 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life ; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us ;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Je'sus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message. which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth : 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Je'sus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our- selves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 427 forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unright- eousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we moke him a liar, and his word is not in us. DECEMBER 27. The Children of God. 1 John iii, 1-10. 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath be- stowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God : therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him : for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him puri- fieth himself, even as he is pure. 4 Whosoever committeth sin transsresseth also the law : for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins ; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not : whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you : he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is right- eous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him ; and he cannot sin, be- cause he is born of God. 428 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil : whosoever doeth not righteous- ness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. DECEMBER 28. John's Vision. Rev. iv, 1-11. 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven : and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me ; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the Spirit : and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and sardine stone : and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight, like unto an emerald. 4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats ; and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment ; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices : and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal : and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him ; and they were full of eyes within : and they SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 429 rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9 And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art w r orthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power : for chou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. DECEMBER 29. The Book of Redemption. Rev. v, 1-14. 1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back side, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof ? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders saith nnto me, Weep not : behold, the Lion of the tribe of Ju'dah, the Root of Da'- vid, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, 430 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests : and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many an- gels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders : and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands ; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wis- dom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and bless- ing- ... 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sit- teth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth for ever and ever. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 431 DECEMBER 30. The Great Multitude. Rev. vii, 9-17. 9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kin- dreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands ; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell be- fore the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes ? and whence came they ? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in hi3 temple : and he that sit- teth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fount- ains of waters : and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 432 SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. DECEMBER 31. The Last Words. Rev. xxii. 1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month : and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse : but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it ; and his serv- ants shall serve him : 4 And they shall see his face ; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there ; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun ; for the Lord God giveth them light : and they shall reign for ever and ever. 6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true : and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 7 Behold, I come quickly : blessed is he that keep- eth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to wor- ship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not : for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the proph- ets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book : worship God. 10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book : for the time is at hand. SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS FOR DAILY READING. 433 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still : and be which is filthy, let him be filthy still : and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still : and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 1 am Al'pha and O'me-ga, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore- mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Je'sus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of Da'vid, and the bright and morning star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book : 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He which testiheth these things saith, Surely I come quickly : Amen. Even so, come, Lord Je'sus. 21 The grace of our Lord Je'sus Christ be with you all. Amen. THE END. .5 31 ^1 ^Ir^ /flfl^^^X Pill Ij^oaI