Jeremiah 10

Translation: ESV

10 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the Lord:


“Learn not the way of the nations,
nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens
because the nations are dismayed at them,
3 for the customs of the peoples are vanity.
A tree from the forest is cut down
and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it cannot move.
5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,
and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried,
for they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil,
neither is it in them to do good.”

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Date: November 22 2021

6 There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might.

7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms
there is none like you.

8 They are both stupid and foolish;
the instruction of idols is but wood!
9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
and gold from Uphaz.
They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;
their clothing is violet and purple;
they are all the work of skilled men.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.


11 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”


12 It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

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Date: January 25 2024

14 Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false,
and there is no breath in them.

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Date: April 18 2024

15 They are worthless, a work of delusion;
at the time of their punishment they shall perish.

16 Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,
for he is the one who formed all things,
and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;
the Lord of hosts is his name.


17 Gather up your bundle from the ground,
O you who dwell under siege!
18 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land
at this time,
and I will bring distress on them,
that they may feel it.”


19 Woe is me because of my hurt!
My wound is grievous.
But I said, “Truly this is an affliction,
and I must bear it.”
20 My tent is destroyed,
and all my cords are broken;
my children have gone from me,
and they are not;
there is no one to spread my tent again
and to set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds are stupid
and do not inquire of the Lord;
therefore they have not prospered,
and all their flock is scattered.


22 A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes!—
a great commotion out of the north country
to make the cities of Judah a desolation,
a lair of jackals.


23 I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself,
that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
24 Correct me, O Lord, but in justice;
not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.


25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not,
and on the peoples that call not on your name,
for they have devoured Jacob;
they have devoured him and consumed him,
and have laid waste his habitation.

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Matthew 12

 Translation: ESV

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

God's Chosen Servant

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

    my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

    and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

20 a bruised reed he will not break,

    and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory;

21     and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

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Date: October 21 2021

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

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Job 28

Translation: ESV

1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,

    and a place for gold that they refine.

2 Iron is taken out of the earth,

    and copper is smelted from the ore.

3 Man puts an end to darkness

    and searches out to the farthest limit

    the ore in gloom and deep darkness.

4 He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;

    they are forgotten by travelers;

    they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.

5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread,

    but underneath it is turned up as by fire.

6 Its stones are the place of sapphires,

    and it has dust of gold.

7 “That path no bird of prey knows,

    and the falcon's eye has not seen it.

8 The proud beasts have not trodden it;

    the lion has not passed over it.

9 “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock

    and overturns mountains by the roots.

10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,

    and his eye sees every precious thing.

11 He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,

    and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

12 “But where shall wisdom be found?

    And where is the place of understanding?

13 Man does not know its worth,

    and it is not found in the land of the living.

14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’

    and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

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Date: October 1 2021
Inktober prompt: Crystal

15 It cannot be bought for gold,

     and silver cannot be weighed as its price.

16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,

     in precious onyx or sapphire.

17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,

     nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;

     the price of wisdom is above pearls.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,

     nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20 “From where, then, does wisdom come?

    And where is the place of understanding?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living

    and concealed from the birds of the air.

22 Abaddon and Death say,

    ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

23 “God understands the way to it,

    and he knows its place.

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24 For he looks to the ends of the earth

    and sees everything under the heavens.

25 When he gave to the wind its weight

    and apportioned the waters by measure,

26 when he made a decree for the rain

    and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

27 then he saw it and declared it;

    he established it, and searched it out.

28 And he said to man,

‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,

    and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

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Psalm 144 (MT: 145)

 Translation: ESV

A Song of Praise. Of David.

Patreon image donor: Angela and Michael Loveless
Date: September 25 2021

1 I will extol you, my God and King,
   and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
   and praise your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.


8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.


10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.


[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.


21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

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Proverbs 25

Translation: ESV

1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

2 It is the glory of God to conceal things,

    but the glory of kings is to search things out.

3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,

    so the heart of kings is unsearchable.

4 Take away the dross from the silver,

    and the smith has material for a vessel;

5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king,

    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

6 Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence

    or stand in the place of the great,

7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”

    than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen

8     do not hastily bring into court,

for what will you do in the end,

    when your neighbor puts you to shame?

9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself,

    and do not reveal another's secret,

10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,

    and your ill repute have no end.

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Date: September 21 2021

11 A word fitly spoken

     is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.

12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold

    is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest

    is a faithful messenger to those who send him;

    he refreshes the soul of his masters.

14 Like clouds and wind without rain

    is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded,

    and a soft tongue will break a bone.

16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,

    lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.

17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,

    lest he have his fill of you and hate you.

18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor

    is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.

19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble

    is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.

20 Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart

    is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,

    and like vinegar on soda.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,

    and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

22 for you will heap burning coals on his head,

    and the Lord will reward you.

23 The north wind brings forth rain,

    and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop

    than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul,

    so is good news from a far country.

26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain

    is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

27 It is not good to eat much honey,

    nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.

28 A man without self-control

    is like a city broken into and left without walls.

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Titus 3

Translation: ESV

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

Patreon image donor: Patrick Lee
Date: August 8 2021

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings

12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all.

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Epistle to Titus

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1 Corinthians 3

 Translation: ESV

1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

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16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

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Mark 3

 Translation: ESV

A Man with a Withered Hand

3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

A Great Crowd Follows Jesus

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. 

Patreon image donor: Scott Herbert
Date: June 30 2021

11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

The Twelve Apostles

13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

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Job 8

 Translation: ESV

Patreon image donor: Randy B
Date: January 26 2023

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

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Date: February 22 2024

2 “How long will you say these things,

    and the words of your mouth be a great wind?

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Date: February 23 2023

3 Does God pervert justice?

    Or does the Almighty pervert the right?

4 If your children have sinned against him,

    he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression.

5 If you will seek God

    and plead with the Almighty for mercy,

6 if you are pure and upright,

    surely then he will rouse himself for you

    and restore your rightful habitation.

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Date: January 2 2024

7 And though your beginning was small,

    your latter days will be very great.

8 “For inquire, please, of bygone ages,

    and consider what the fathers have searched out.

9 For we are but of yesterday and know nothing,

    for our days on earth are a shadow.

10 Will they not teach you and tell you

    and utter words out of their understanding?

Patron: Fr. Dimtri Cozby; date: May 15 2021, technique: linocut

11 “Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh?

Can reeds flourish where there is no water?

12 While yet in flower and not cut down,

    they wither before any other plant.

13 Such are the paths of all who forget God;

    the hope of the godless shall perish.

14 His confidence is severed,

    and his trust is a spider's web.

15 He leans against his house, but it does not stand;

    he lays hold of it, but it does not endure.

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16 He is a lush plant before the sun,

     and his shoots spread over his garden.

17 His roots entwine the stone heap;

    he looks upon a house of stones.

18 If he is destroyed from his place,

    then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’

19 Behold, this is the joy of his way,

    and out of the soil others will spring.

20 “Behold, God will not reject a blameless man,

    nor take the hand of evildoers.

21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,

    and your lips with shouting.

22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,

    and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”

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Ecclesiastes 1

Translation: ESV

All Is Vanity

Patreon image donor: Fr. Dimitri Cozby
April 13 2023

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Patreon image donor: Robert Lindsay
Date: April 22 2021
Inktober prompt: Fancy

2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,

    vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

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Date: January 23 2024

3 What does man gain by all the toil

    at which he toils under the sun?

4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,

    but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down,

    and hastens to the place where it rises.

6 The wind blows to the south

    and goes around to the north;

around and around goes the wind,

    and on its circuits the wind returns.

7 All streams run to the sea,

    but the sea is not full;

to the place where the streams flow,

    there they flow again.

8 All things are full of weariness;

    a man cannot utter it;

the eye is not satisfied with seeing,

    nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 What has been is what will be,

    and what has been done is what will be done,

    and there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there a thing of which it is said,

    “See, this is new”?

It has been already

    in the ages before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things,

    nor will there be any remembrance

of later things yet to be

    among those who come after.

The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be made straight,

    and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18 For in much wisdom is much vexation,

    and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

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Ecclesiastes

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2 Corinthians 7

Translation: ESV

Patreon image donor: Ivanhoe
Date: April 16
Pictured: St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain

1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Paul's Joy

2 Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we are comforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. 15 And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.

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2 Maccabees 1

Translation: ESV

A Letter to the Jews in Egypt

Patreon image donor: C. E.
Date: April 2 2021

1 From the Jews of Jerusalem and Judea to those in Egypt, warm greetings.

2 May God be good to you and keep the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants. 3 May he fill each of you with the desire to worship him and to do his will eagerly with all your heart and soul. 4 May he enable you to understand his Law and his commands. May he give you peace, 5 answer your prayers, forgive your sins, and never abandon you in times of trouble. 6 Here in Judah we are now praying for you.

Patreon image donor: C. E.
Date: May 29 2021

7 In the year 169, when Demetrius the Second was king of Syria, we wrote to tell you about the persecution and the hard times that came upon us in the years after Jason revolted against authority in the Holy Land. 8 Jason and his men set fire to the Temple gates and slaughtered innocent people.

Patreon image donor: C. E.
Date: March 17 2023

Then we prayed to the Lord and he answered our prayers. So we sacrificed animals, gave offerings of grain, lit the lamps in the Temple, and set out the sacred loaves.

Patreon image donor: C. E.
Date: November 15 2023

9 This is why we urge you to celebrate in the month of Kislev a festival similar to the Festival of Shelters.

Written in the year 188.

A LETTER TO ARISTOBULUS

The Death of King Antiochus

10 From the Jews of Jerusalem and Judea, the Jewish Senate, and Judas, to Aristobulus, a descendant of priests and the teacher of King Ptolemy, and to the Jews in Egypt, greetings and good health.

11 We thank God because he saved us from great danger. We were like men ready to fight against a king, 12 but God drove the enemy from our holy city. 13 When King Antiochus arrived in Persia, his army seemed impossible to defeat, but they were cut to pieces in the temple of the goddess Nanea by an act of treachery on the part of her priests. 14 King Antiochus had gone to the temple with some of his most trusted advisers, so that he might marry the goddess and then take away most of the temple treasures as a wedding gift. 15 After the priests had laid out the treasure, he and a few of his men went into the temple to collect it. But the priests closed the doors behind him 16 and stoned him and his men from trap doors hidden in the ceiling. Then they cut up the bodies and threw the heads to the people outside. 17 Praise God for punishing those evil men! Praise him for everything!

Fire Consumes Nehemiah's Sacrifice

18 On the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev we will celebrate the Festival of Rededication just as we celebrate the Festival of Shelters. We thought it important to remind you of this, so that you too may celebrate this festival. In this way you will remember how fire appeared when Nehemiah offered sacrifices after he had rebuilt the Temple and the altar. 19 At the time when our ancestors were being taken to exile in Persia, a few devout priests took some fire from the altar and secretly hid it in the bottom of a dry cistern. They hid the fire so well that no one ever discovered it. 20 Years later, when it pleased God, the Persian emperor sent Nehemiah back to Jerusalem, and Nehemiah told the descendants of those priests to find the fire. They reported to us that they had found no fire but only some oily liquid. Nehemiah then told them to scoop some up and bring it to him. 21 When everything for the sacrifice had been placed on the altar, he told the priests to pour the liquid over both the wood and the sacrifice. 22 After this was done and some time had passed, the sun appeared from behind the clouds, and suddenly everything on the altar burst into flames. Everyone looked on in amazement. 23 Then, while the fire was consuming the sacrifice, Jonathan the High Priest led the people in prayer, and Nehemiah and all the people responded.

Nehemiah's Prayer

24 Nehemiah's prayer went something like this:

    Lord God, Creator of all things, you are awesome and strong, yet merciful and just. You alone are king. No one but you is kind; 25 no one but you is gracious and just. You are almighty and eternal, forever ready to rescue Israel from trouble. You chose our ancestors to be your own special people. 26 Accept this sacrifice which we offer on behalf of all Israel; protect your chosen people and make us holy. 27 Free those who are slaves in foreign lands and gather together our scattered people. Have mercy on our people, who are mistreated and despised, so that all other nations will know that you are our God. 28 Punish the brutal and arrogant people who have oppressed us, 29 and then establish your people in your holy land, as Moses said you would.

The Persian Emperor Hears about the Fire

30 Then the priests sang hymns.

Patreon image donor: C. E.
Date: April 12 2023

31 After the sacrifices had been consumed, Nehemiah gave orders for the rest of the liquid to be poured over some large stones. 32 Immediately a fire blazed up, but it was extinguished by a flame from the fire on the altar.

33 News of what had happened spread everywhere. The Persian emperor heard that a liquid had been found in the place where the priests had hidden the altar fire, just before they were taken into exile. He also heard that Nehemiah and his friends had used this liquid to burn the sacrifice on the altar. 34 When the emperor investigated the matter and found out that this was true, he had the area fenced off and made into a shrine. 35 It became a substantial source of income for him, and he used the money for gifts to anyone who was in his good favor. 36 Nehemiah and his friends called the liquid nephthar which means purification, but most people call it naphtha.

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2 Maccabees

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Revelation 2

 Translation: ESV

To the Church in Ephesus

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 

Patreon image donor: Herman Ward
Date: March 13 2021
Pictured: St. Euphrosynus the Cook

7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

To the Church in Smyrna

8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

To the Church in Pergamum

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

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Ezekiel 28

Translation: ESV

Prophecy Against the Prince of Tyre

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God:

“Because your heart is proud,

    and you have said, ‘I am a god,

I sit in the seat of the gods,

    in the heart of the seas,’

yet you are but a man, and no god,

    though you make your heart like the heart of a god—

3 you are indeed wiser than Daniel;

    no secret is hidden from you;

4 by your wisdom and your understanding

    you have made wealth for yourself,

and have gathered gold and silver

    into your treasuries;

5 by your great wisdom in your trade

    you have increased your wealth,

    and your heart has become proud in your wealth—

6 therefore thus says the Lord God:

Because you make your heart

    like the heart of a god,

7 therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you,

    the most ruthless of the nations;

and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom

    and defile your splendor.

8 They shall thrust you down into the pit,

    and you shall die the death of the slain

    in the heart of the seas.

9 Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’

    in the presence of those who kill you,

though you are but a man, and no god,

    in the hands of those who slay you?

10 You shall die the death of the uncircumcised

    by the hand of foreigners;

    for I have spoken, declares the Lord God.”

A Lament over the King of Tyre

11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

Patreon image donor: Antonio Cabrera Gonzáles
Date: March 6 2021

“You were the signet of perfection,

    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;

    every precious stone was your covering,

sardius, topaz, and diamond,

    beryl, onyx, and jasper,

sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;

    and crafted in gold were your settings

    and your engravings.

On the day that you were created

    they were prepared.

14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.

    I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;

    in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.

15 You were blameless in your ways

    from the day you were created,

    till unrighteousness was found in you.

16 In the abundance of your trade

    you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;

so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,

    and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,

    from the midst of the stones of fire.

17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;

    you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.

I cast you to the ground;

    I exposed you before kings,

    to feast their eyes on you.

18 By the multitude of your iniquities,

    in the unrighteousness of your trade

    you profaned your sanctuaries;

so I brought fire out from your midst;

    it consumed you,

and I turned you to ashes on the earth

    in the sight of all who saw you.

19 All who know you among the peoples

    are appalled at you;

you have come to a dreadful end

    and shall be no more forever.”

Prophecy Against Sidon

20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her 22 and say, Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,

    and I will manifest my glory in your midst.

And they shall know that I am the Lord

    when I execute judgments in her

    and manifest my holiness in her;

23 for I will send pestilence into her,

    and blood into her streets;

and the slain shall fall in her midst,

    by the sword that is against her on every side.

Then they will know that I am the Lord.

24 “And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.

Israel Gathered in Security

25 “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”

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