Daily Readings

¹ The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.² Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.³ And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.⁴ The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.⁵ For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.⁶ And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;⁷ Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.⁸ They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.⁹ When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.¹⁰ There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.¹¹ Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.¹² For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.¹³ Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.¹⁴ For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.¹⁵ The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;¹⁶ According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.¹⁷ And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.¹⁸ I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.¹⁹ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.²⁰ But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.²¹ And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?²² When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

¹ Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.² A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.³ Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:⁶ Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.⁷ I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.⁸ He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.⁹ Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.¹⁰ If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.¹¹ Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.¹² The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.¹⁴ A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?¹⁵ The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.¹⁶ Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!¹⁷ Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!¹⁸ By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.²⁰ Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

¹ And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,² And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.³ And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.⁶ And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.⁷ And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.⁸ And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.¹⁰ And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.¹¹ And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,¹² And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.¹³ Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:¹⁴ And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.¹⁵ But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:¹⁶ For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.¹⁷ And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.¹⁸ And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.¹⁹ And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.²⁰ And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.²¹ But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?²² But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.²³ And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:²⁴ But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.²⁶ And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.²⁷ But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.²⁸ And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.²⁹ And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.³⁰ Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.³¹ Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.³² And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.³³ And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.³⁴ And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.³⁵ And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.³⁶ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.³⁷ And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.³⁸ And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.³⁹ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.⁴⁰ But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.⁴¹ And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.⁴² And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.⁴³ And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.