Day 181 of 365

¹ In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

² Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

³ For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

⁴ Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

⁵ Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

⁶ I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;

⁸ And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

⁹ Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.

¹⁰ For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

¹¹ I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

¹² I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

¹³ For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

¹⁴ But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.

¹⁵ My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

¹⁶ Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.

¹⁷ Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

¹⁸ Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

¹⁹ Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

²⁰ Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

²¹ Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.

²² For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

²³ O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

²⁴ Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

¹ As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

² As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

³ A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.

⁴ Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

⁶ He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

⁷ The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸ As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

⁹ As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰ The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

¹¹ As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

¹² Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

¹³ The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴ As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵ The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

¹⁷ He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

¹⁸ As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹ So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

²⁰ Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

²¹ As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²² The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

²³ Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

²⁴ He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

²⁵ When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶ Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.

²⁷ Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

²⁸ A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.