Daily Readings

¹ When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;² Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.³ Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.⁴ And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;⁵ As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:⁶ Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.⁷ Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.⁸ And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;⁹ If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:¹⁰ That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.¹¹ But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:¹² Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.¹³ Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.¹⁴ Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.¹⁵ One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.¹⁶ If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;¹⁷ Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;¹⁸ And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;¹⁹ Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.²⁰ And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.²¹ And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

¹ Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.² Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.³ If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.⁴ He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.⁵ As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.⁶ In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.⁷ Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:⁸ But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.⁹ Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.¹⁰ Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

¹ There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,² A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.³ He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.⁴ And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.⁵ And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:⁶ He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.⁷ And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;⁸ And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.⁹ On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:¹⁰ And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,¹¹ And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:¹² Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.¹³ And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.¹⁴ But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.¹⁵ And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.¹⁶ This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.¹⁷ Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,¹⁸ And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.¹⁹ While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.²⁰ Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.²¹ Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?²² And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.²³ Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.²⁴ And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and he had called together his kinsmen and near friends.²⁵ And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.²⁶ But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.²⁷ And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.²⁸ And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.²⁹ Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?³⁰ And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,³¹ And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.³² Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.³³ Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:³⁵ But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.³⁶ The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)³⁷ That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;³⁸ How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.³⁹ And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:⁴⁰ Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;⁴¹ Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.⁴² And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.⁴³ To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.⁴⁴ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.⁴⁵ And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,⁴⁷ Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.