Leviticus 23, Psalm 30, Ecclesiastes 6, 2 Timothy 2

Leviticus 23,

1 The LORD said to Moses,
 
2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
 
3 " 'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
 
4 " 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:
 
5 The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.
 
6 On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.
 
7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.
 
8 For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.' "
 
9 The LORD said to Moses,
 
10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.
 
11 He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.
 
12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect,
 
13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil-an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma-and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine.
 
14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
 
15 " 'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.
 
16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.
 
17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD.
 
18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings-an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
 
19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering.
 
20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest.
 
21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
 
22 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' "
 
23 The LORD said to Moses,
 
24 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.
 
25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.' "
 
26 The LORD said to Moses,
 
27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire.
 
28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God.
 
29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people.
 
30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day.
 
31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
 
32 It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath."
 
33 The LORD said to Moses,
 
34 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days.
 
35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work.
 
36 For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.
 
37 (" 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the LORD by fire-the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day.
 
38 These offerings are in addition to those for the LORD's Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the LORD.)
 
39 " 'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest.
 
40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.
 
41 Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month.
 
42 Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths
 
43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' "
 
44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the LORD.

Psalm 30,

1 I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
 
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
 
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.
 
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
 
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
 
6 When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."
 
7 O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
 
8 To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:
 
9 "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
 
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."
 
11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
 
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Ecclesiastes 6,

1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men:
 
2 God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.
 
3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.
 
4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded.
 
5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man-
 
6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?
 
7 All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.
 
8 What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others?
 
9 Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
 
10 Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known; no man can contend with one who is stronger than he.
 
11 The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?
 
12 For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?

2 Timothy 2

1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
 
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
 
3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
 
4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-he wants to please his commanding officer.
 
5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.
 
6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
 
7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
 
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,
 
9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.
 
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
 
11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;
 
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;
 
13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
 
14 Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
 
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
 
16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
 
17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
 
18 who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.
 
19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
 
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.
 
21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
 
22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
 
23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
 
24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
 
25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
 
26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.