Day 237 of 365

Ezra 7:1–28

1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest;

6 this Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God on him.

7 There went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9 For on the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God on him.

10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.

11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel:

12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth.

13 I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.

14 Because you are sent of the king and his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your hand,

15 and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,

16 and all the silver and gold that you shall find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;

17 therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

18 Whatever shall seem good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that after the will of your God.

19 The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem.

20 Whatever more shall be needful for the house of your God, which you shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.

21 I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,

22 to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred measures of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.

23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

24 Also we inform you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, the singers, porters, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on them.

25 You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God who is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach him who doesn't know them.

26 Whoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;

28 and has extended loving kindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the hand of the Lord my God on me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

Jude 1:14–25

14 About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,

15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

16 These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaks proud things), showing respect of persons to gain advantage.

17 But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

18 They said to you that "In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts."

19 These are they who cause divisions, and are sensual, not having the Spirit.

20 But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

22 On some have compassion, who are in doubt,

23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire, and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,

25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Ps 101:1–8

1 I will sing of loving kindness and justice. To you, Lord, I will sing praises.

2 I will be careful to live a blameless life. When will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a blameless heart.

3 I will set no vile thing before my eyes. I hate the deeds of faithless men. They will not cling to me.

4 A perverse heart will be far from me. I will have nothing to do with evil.

5 I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor. I won't tolerate one who is haughty and conceited.

6 My eyes will be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he will serve me.

7 He who practices deceit won't dwell within my house. He who speaks falsehood won't be established before my eyes.

8 Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wicked of the land; to cut off all the workers of iniquity from the Lord's city.