Selection 28.

PROVERBS, 28:1—13.

HE wicked flee when no man pursueth: But the righteous are bold as a lion.

2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: But by men of understanding and knowledge the state shall be prolonged.

3 A needy man that oppresseth the poor Is a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: But such as keep the law contend with them.

5 Evil men understand not judgement: But they that seek Jehovah understand all things.

6 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity Than he that is perverse, of two ways, tho he be rich.

7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: But he that is a companion of gluttonous men shameth his father.

8 He that augmenteth his substance by usury and increase, Gathereth it for him that hath pity on the poor. 9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

10 Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way, He shall fall himself into his own pit: But the perfect shall inherit good.

11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; But the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

12 When the righteous triumph, there

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PROVERBS, 31:10-31.

VIRTUOUS woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her, And he shall have no lack of gain.

12 She doeth him good and not evil All the days of her life.

13 She seeketh wool and flax, And worketh busily with her hands.

14 She is like the merchant-ships; She bringeth her food from afar.

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, And giveth meat to her household, And their task to her maidens.

16 She considereth a field, and buy

eth it: With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms.

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable: Her lamp goeth not out by night.

19 She layeth her hands to the distaff, And her palms hold the spindle.

20 She spreadeth out her palm to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household; For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22 She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sitteth among the elders of the land.

24 She maketh linen garments and selleth them; And delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25 Strength and dignity are her clothing And she laugheth at the time to

time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali: but in the latter time hath He made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, Thou hast increased their joy; they joy before Thee according to the joy in harharvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, Thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.

5 For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government

and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

ISAIAH, 42:1-12.

EHOLD My servant, whom I uphold;

lighteth: I have put My spirit upon Him; He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment in truth.

4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the Earth; and the isles shall wait for His law.

5 Thus saith God, Jehovah, He that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; He that spread abroad the Earth and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

6 I Jehovah have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

8 I am Jehovah; that is my name;

and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise unto graven images.

9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

10 Sing unto the Lord a new song and His praise from the end of the Earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

12 Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the islands.

ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief and as one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all!

7 He was oppressed, yet He humbled himself and opened not His mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; yea, He opened not His mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of My people to whom the stroke was due?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death; altho He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul a guilt offer

ing, He shall see His seed, he shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see of the travail, of His soul, and shall be satisfied; by His knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justify many, and He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He poured out His soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

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Selection 31.

ISAIAH, 58:3--11.

'HEREFORE have we fasted, say they, and Thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and Thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find your own pleasure, and exact all your labors.

4 Behold, ye fast for strife and contention, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye fast not this day so as to make your voice to be heard on high!

5 Is such the fast that I have chosen? The day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy healing shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of Jehovah shall be thy rearward.

9 Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly;

10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday:

11 And Jehovah shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in dry places, and make strong thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

3 Thou shalt also be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for Jehovah delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee; and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

6 I have set watchmen upon Thy walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day nor night:

7 Ye that are Jehovah's remembrancers, take ye no rest, and give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth.

8 The Lord hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies, and strangers shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast labored:

9 But they that have garnered it shall eat it, and praise Jehovah; and they that have gathered it shall drink it in the courts of My sanctuary.

10 Go thro, go thro the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the high way; gather out the stones; lift up an ensign for the peoples.

11 Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the Earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salva