Day 252 of 365

¹ Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

² Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

³ For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.

⁴ My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.

⁵ By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

⁶ I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

⁷ I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

⁸ Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.

⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,

¹⁰ Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

¹¹ My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

¹² But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

¹³ Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

¹⁴ For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.

¹⁵ So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

¹⁶ When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

¹⁷ He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

¹⁸ This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

¹⁹ For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

²⁰ To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

²¹ To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

²² When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

²³ He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.

²⁴ I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.

²⁵ Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

²⁶ They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

²⁷ But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

²⁸ The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

¹ Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

² For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

³ For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

⁴ He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

⁶ Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

⁷ Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

⁸ Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

⁹ She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

¹¹ I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

¹² When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³ Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

¹⁴ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

¹⁵ Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

¹⁶ For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

¹⁹ The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

²⁰ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

²¹ Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

²² For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

²³ Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

²⁴ Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

²⁵ Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

²⁶ Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

²⁷ Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.