September 17 (Proverbs 23–24; Psalm 72; John 14)

0:00A reading from the Book of Proverbs. When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies for they are deceptive food. Do not toil to acquire wealth, be discerning enough to desist. In your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings flying like an eagle toward heaven. Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy. Do not desire his delicacies for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. Eat and drink, he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten and waste your pleasant words. Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the Fatherless, for their redeemer

1:04is strong, he will plead their cause against you. Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. Do not withhold discipline from a child. If you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, he will save his soul from sheol. My son if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Here my son and be wise and direct your heart in the way. Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.

2:05Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Die truth and do not sell it. Buy wisdom instruction and understanding. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice. Who who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and mother be glad. Let her who bore you rejoice. My son give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways. For a prostitute is a deep pit, and adulterous is a narrow will. She lies in weight like a rubber, and increases the traitors among mankind. Who has woe, who has sorrow, who has strife, who has complaining, who has wounds without cause, who has redness of eyes. Those who carry long over wine. Those who go to try mixed wine.

3:07When it look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end, it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. They struck me, you will say. But I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink. Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence and their lips talk of trouble. By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might.

4:09For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. Wisdom is too high for a fool, and the gate he does not open his mouth. Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death, hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, behold, we did not know this. Does not he who weighs the heart perceive it. Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it? And will he not repay man according to his work? My son, eat honey for it is good, and the trippings of the honeycomar sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul.

5:12If you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous. No violence to his home, for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. Not not yourself because of evil doers and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future. The lamp of the wicked will be put out. My son fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both.

6:18These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good. Whoever says to the wicked, you are in the right, will be cursed by people's abhorred by nations. But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. Here your work outside, get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that, build your house. Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. Do not say, I will do to him as he has done to me, I will pay the man back for what he has done. I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold it was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall

7:19was broken down. Then I saw and considered it, I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a rubber, and want like an armed man. A reading from the Psalms of Solomon. Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son. May he judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice. Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people and the hills in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor. May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon throughout all generations. May he be like rain that falls on the moon grass, like showers that water the earth.

8:24In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound till the moon be no more. May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute. May the kings of Shiba and Siba bring gifts. May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him. For he delivers the needy when he calls. The poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live, may gold of Shiba be given to him, may prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day.

9:26May there be abundance of grain in the land, on the tops of the mountains may it wave, may its fruit be like Lebanon, and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field. May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever, may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and amen. The prayers of David, the Son of Jesse, are ended. A reading from the gospel according to John. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

10:30And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

11:35The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works. Believe me, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father and He will give you another helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive,

12:35because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you, yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me, because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, He it is who loves me, and He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love Him and manifest myself to Him. Judas, not a scarier, said to Him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus answered Him, if anyone loves me, He will keep my Word, and my Father will love Him,

13:39and we will come to Him and make our home with Him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the Word that you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you, but the helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to you remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace, I leave with you, my peace, I give to you, not as the world gives to I give to you, let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I, and now I have told you before it takes place,

14:40so that when it does take place, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise. Let us go from here.