Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 09 September 2020

This will have to be quite brief.  For once, it's been Yours Truly who has been "down" with something all last night and most of today.  Haven't been up to much of anything, this included.  Don't know what it is, though I do feel a bit better now.  So I came into the room intending to get this out, though quite late in the day.  To have the lights flicker and the computer power off several times, then come back up with the better part of an hour of updates, fixes, etc. etc.  So I'm not up to much.  Tomorrow needs my attention, there are some things that I just have to do, even if I have to crawl.  So a more or less early night seems a good idea.  Apologies all around, OK?

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ISAIAH 19

1The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

2And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

3And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

4And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts.

5And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

6And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.

7The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.

8The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.

9Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.

10And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.

11Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

12Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the Lord of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.

13The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Memphis are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof.

14The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.

15Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.

16In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he shaketh over it.

17And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts, which he hath determined against it.

18In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.

19In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord.

20And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

21And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it.

22And the Lord shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the Lord, and he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them.

23In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.

24In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:

25Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

ISAIAH 20

1In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;

2At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

3And the Lord said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

4So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

5And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

6And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?

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PROVERBS 10

1The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

3The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.

4He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

5He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

6Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

7The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

8The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

9He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

10He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

11The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

12Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

13In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

14Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

15The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

16The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

17He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

18He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

19In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

20The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.

21The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

22The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

23It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

24The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

25As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

26As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

27The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

28The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

29The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

30The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

31The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.

32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

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COLOSSIANS 3

1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

18Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

20Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

21Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

22Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

23And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

25But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.