Day 285 of 365

¹ Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.

² Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,

³ Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

⁴ For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

⁵ For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

⁶ Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

⁷ He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

⁸ Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

⁹ Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.

¹⁰ Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;

¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:

¹² And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.

¹³ Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.

¹⁴ For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.

¹⁵ The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

¹⁶ They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

¹⁷ They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

¹⁸ They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.

¹⁹ Bless the LORD, O house of Israel: bless the LORD, O house of Aaron:

²⁰ Bless the LORD, O house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.

²¹ Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

¹ My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

² Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

³ Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

⁴ Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

⁵ Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

⁷ Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

⁸ Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

⁹ How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

¹⁰ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹ So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

¹² A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

¹³ He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

¹⁴ Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

¹⁵ Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

¹⁶ These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

¹⁷ A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸ An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹ A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

²⁰ My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

²¹ Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

²² When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

²³ For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

²⁴ To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

²⁵ Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

²⁶ For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

²⁷ Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸ Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

²⁹ So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

³⁰ Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

³¹ But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

³² But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

³³ A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

³⁴ For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵ He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.