Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 10 September 2020

 Already a third of the way through September!  😒  Not happy about that, I'd prefer to be having the third week of May year around.  Ain't gonna happen, not around these parts anyway.  Grumble grumble.

Today marks the anniversary of the day, 32 years ago, that the loveliest woman I ever met said  "I do".  I give thanks to the Lord every day for that, and for the days and years since.  No, it hasn't all of it been happy happy stuff.  Some of it has been very very hard, some has brought sorrow and disappointments and dashed hopes and dreams.  Pretty much like anyone else, probably.  But I believe that the Lord put us together, for reasons of His own, and He's not done with us yet.  Some day all of this will make sense, but it probably won't be on this side of Jordan.  Hang tight.

I'm feeling a bit better than yesterday, which is A Good Thing, I was feeling pretty lousy and I just can't afford to be under the weather, she relies on me for a lot.  So any small improvement is most welcome.

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ISAIAH 21

1The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

2A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

3Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

4My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

5Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

6For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

7And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

8And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

9And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

10O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

11The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.

14The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.

15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

16For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

17And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.

ISAIAH 22

1The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

2Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

3All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.

4Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

5For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

6And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

7And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

9Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

10And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

11Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

12And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

13And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

14And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.

15Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,

16What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

17Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

18He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house.

19And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

20And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

21And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

22And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

23And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.

24And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

25In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

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PROVERBS 11

1Dishonest scales are detestable to the Lord, 

but an accurate weight is His delight. 

2When pride comes, disgrace follows,

but with humility comes wisdom. 

3The integrity of the upright guides them, 

but the perversity of the treacherous destroys them. 

4Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath,

but righteousness rescues from death. 

5The righteousness of the blameless clears his path,

but the wicked person will fall because of his wickedness.

6The righteousness of the upright rescues them,

but the treacherous are trapped by their own desires. 

7When the wicked man dies,

his expectation comes to nothing,

and hope placed in wealth   vanishes. 

8The righteous one is rescued from trouble;

in his place, the wicked one goes in. 

9With his mouth the ungodly destroys his neighbor,

but through knowledge the righteous are rescued.

10When the righteous thrive, a city rejoices, 

and when the wicked die, there is joyful shouting.

11A city is built up by the blessing of the upright, 

but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked. 

12Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks sense,

but a man with understanding keeps silent. 

13A gossip goes around revealing a secret,

but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence. 

14Without guidance, people fall,

but with many counselors there is deliverance. 

15If someone puts up security for a stranger,

he will suffer for it, 

but the one who hates such agreements is protected.

16A gracious woman gains honor,

but violent  men gain only riches.

17A kind man benefits himself, 

but a cruel man brings disaster on himself. 

18The wicked man earns an empty wage,

but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward. 

19Genuine righteousness leads to life, 

but pursuing evil leads to death. 

20Those with twisted minds are detestable to the Lord,

but those with blameless conduct are His delight. 

21Be assured  that the wicked

will not go unpunished, 

but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

22A beautiful woman who rejects good sense

is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout. 

23The desire of the righteous turns out well, 

but the hope of the wicked leads to wrath. 

24One person gives freely,

yet gains more; 

another withholds what is right,

only to become poor. 

25A generous person will be enriched, 

and the one who gives a drink of water

will receive water. 

26People will curse  anyone who hoards grain,

but a blessing will come to the one who sells it. 

27The one who searches for what is good  finds favor,

but if someone looks for trouble, it will come to him. 

28Anyone trusting in his riches will fall, 

but the righteous will flourish like foliage. 

29The one who brings ruin on his household 

will inherit the wind, 

and a fool will be a slave

to someone whose heart is wise.

30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, 

but violence  takes lives.

31If the righteous will be repaid on earth,

how much more the wicked and sinful. 

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COLOSSIANS 4

1Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

2Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

3Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

4That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

5Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

6Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

7All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:

8Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;

9With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.

10Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Mark, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)

11And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.

12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

13For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

14Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

15Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

16And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.

17And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

18The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.