October 31st Readings

4:1 How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

4:3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people [is become] cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

4:4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, [and] no man breaketh [it] unto them.

4:5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

4:6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

4:7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing [was] of sapphire:

4:8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

4:9 [They that be] slain with the sword are better than [they that be] slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for [want of] the fruits of the field.

4:10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

4:11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

4:12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

4:13 For the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

4:14 They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

4:15 They cried unto them, Depart ye; [it is] unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn [there].

4:16 The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

4:17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation [that] could not save [us].

4:18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

4:19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

4:20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.

4:21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.

4:22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

5:1 Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.

5:2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.

5:3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows.

5:4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.

5:5 Our necks [are] under persecution: we labour, [and] have no rest.

5:6 We have given the hand [to] the Egyptians, [and to] the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

5:7 Our fathers have sinned, [and are] not; and we have borne their iniquities.

5:8 Servants have ruled over us: [there is] none that doth deliver [us] out of their hand.

5:9 We gat our bread with [the peril of] our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

5:10 Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.

5:11 They ravished the women in Zion, [and] the maids in the cities of Judah.

5:12 Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.

5:13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.

5:14 The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.

5:15 The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.

5:16 The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!

5:17 For this our heart is faint; for these [things] our eyes are dim.

5:18 Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.

5:19 Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.

5:20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, [and] forsake us so long time?

5:21 Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

5:22 But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.

2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip.

2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard [him];

2:4 God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

2:10 For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

2:16 For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.

2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

103:1 [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name.

103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good [things; so that] thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

103:8 The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep [his anger] for ever.

103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

103:12 As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

103:13 Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust.

103:15 [As for] man, his days [are] as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

103:16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

103:17 But the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

103:18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

103:21 Bless ye the LORD, all [ye] his hosts; [ye] ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

103:22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

26:23 Burning lips and a wicked heart [are like] a potsherd covered with silver dross.