Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 15 September 2020

 Today marks the halfway point through the month of September.  Carrying us further into the half of the year that I despise, that will only change when we are well into the months with short names.  Your mileage may vary, and there are many who love this time of year.  They are welcome to it.  But one week from today marks the onset of the  Autumnal Equinox, as the days get ever shorter and the night gets ever longer. 

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ISAIAH 31

1Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!

2Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.

3Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

4For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

5As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

6Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

7For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

8Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.

9And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

ISAIAH 32

1Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

2And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

3And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

4The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

5The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

6For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

7The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

8But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

9Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

10Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

11Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

12They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

13Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

14Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

15Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

16Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

17And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

18And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

19When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

20Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

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PROVERBS 14

1Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

2He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

4Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

5A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

6A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

7Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

9Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

10The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.

11The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.

12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

13Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

14The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

15The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

16A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

17He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

18The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

19The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.

21He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

22Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

23In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

24The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.

25A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

26In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

28In the multitude of people is the king's honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

29He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

30A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

31He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

32The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.

33Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.

34Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

35The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.

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1 THESSALONIANS 3

1Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;

2And sent Timothy, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

3That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

4For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

5For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

6But now when Timothy came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

7Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

8For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

9For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

10Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

11Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.

12And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

13To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.