Day 179 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

Psalm 16 (17)

1 A Prayer of David. Hearken, O Lord of my righteousness, attend to my petition; give ear to my prayer not [uttered] with deceitful lips. 2 Let my judgment come forth from thy presence; let mine eyes behold righteousness. 3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited [me] by night; thou hast tried me as with fire, and unrighteousness has not been found in me: [I am purposed] that my mouth shall not speak [amiss]. 4 As for the works of men, by the words of thy lips I have guarded [myself from] hard ways. 5 Direct my steps in thy paths, that my steps slip not. 6 I have cried, for thou heardest me, O God: incline thine ear to me, and hearken to my words. 7 Shew the marvels of thy mercies, thou that savest them that hope in thee. 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye from those that resist thy right hand: thou shalt screen me by the covering of thy wings, 9 from the face of the ungodly that have afflicted me: mine enemies have compassed about my soul. 10 They have enclosed [themselves with] their own fat: their mouth has spoken pride. 11 They have now cast me out and compassed me round about: they have set their eyes [so as] to bow them down to the ground. 12 They laid wait for me as a lion ready for prey, and like a lion's whelp dwelling in secret [places]. 13 Arise, O Lord, prevent them, and cast them down: deliver my soul from the ungodly: [draw] thy sword, 14 because of the enemies of thine hand: O Lord, destroy them from the earth; scatter them in their life, though their belly has been filled with thy hidden [treasures]: they have been satisfied with uncleanness, and have left the remnant [of their possessions] to their babes. 15 But I shall appear in righteousness before thy face: I shall be satisfied when thy glory appears.

Psalm 17 (18)

1 For the end, [a Psalm] of David the servant of the Lord; [the words] which he spoke to the Lord, [even] the words of this Song, in the day in which the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: and he said: 2 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. 3 The Lord is my firm support, and my refuge, and my deliverer; my God is my helper, I will hope in him; [he is] my defender, and the horn of my salvation, and my helper. 4 I will call upon the Lord with praises, and I shall be saved from mine enemies. 5 The pangs of death compassed me, and the torrents of ungodliness troubled me exceedingly. 6 The pangs of hell came round about me: the snares of death prevented me. 7 And when I was afflicted I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: he heard my voice out of his holy temple, and my cry shall enter before him, [even] into his ears. 8 Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains were disturbed, and were shaken, because God was angry with them. 9 There went up a smoke in his wrath, and fire burst into a flame at his presence: coals were kindled at it. 10 And he bowed the heaven, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet. 11 And he mounted on cherubs and flew: he flew on the wings of winds. 12 And he made darkness his secret place: round about him was his tabernacle, [even] dark water in the clouds of the air. 13 At the brightness before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire. 14 The Lord also thundered from heaven, and the Highest uttered his voice. 15 And he sent forth [his] weapons, and scattered them; and multiplied lightnings, and routed them. 16 And the springs of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of thy wrath. 17 He sent from on high and took me, he drew me to himself out of many waters. 18 He will deliver me from my mighty enemies, and from them that hate me; for they are stronger than I. 19 They prevented me in the day of mine affliction: but the Lord was my stay against [them]. 20 And he brought me out into a wide place: he will deliver me, because he has pleasure in me. 21 And the Lord will recompense me according to my righteousness; even according to the purity of my hands will he recompense me. 22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his judgments were before me, and his ordinances departed not from me. 24 And I shall be blameless with him, and shall keep myself from mine iniquity. 25 And the Lord shall recompense me according to my righteousness, and according to the purity of my hands before his eyes. 26 With the holy thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent. 27 And with the excellent [man] thou wilt be excellent; and with the perverse thou wilt shew frowardness. 28 For thou wilt save the lowly people, and wilt humble the eyes of the proud. 29 For thou, O Lord, wilt light my lamp: my God, thou wilt lighten my darkness. 30 For by thee shall I be delivered from a troop; and by my God I will pass over a wall. 31 [As for] my God, his way is perfect: the oracles of the Lord are tried in the fire; he is a protector of all them that hope in him. 32 For who is God but the Lord? and who is a God except our God? 33 [It is] God that girds me with strength, and has made my way blameless: 34 who strengthens my feet as hart's feet, and sets me upon high places. 35 He instructs my hands for war; and thou hast made my arms [as] a brazen bow. 36 And thou hast made me secure in my salvation: and thy right hand has helped me, and thy correction has upheld me to the end; yea, thy correction itself shall instruct me. 37 Thou hast made room for my goings under me, and my footsteps did not fail. 38 I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; and I will not turn back until they are consumed. 39 I will dash them to pieces and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet. 40 For thou hast girded me with strength for war: thou hast beaten down under me all that rose up against me. 41 And thou hast made mine enemies turn their backs before me; and thou hast destroyed them that hated me. 42 They cried, but there was no deliverer: [even] to the Lord, but he hearkened not to them. 43 I will grind them as the mud of the streets: and I will beat them small as dust before the wind. 44 Deliver me from the gainsayings of the people: thou shalt make me head of the Gentiles: a people whom I knew not served me, 45 at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me: the strange children lied to me. 46 The strange children waxed old, and fell away from their paths through lameness. 47 The Lord lives; and blessed [be] my God; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 48 [It is] God that avenges me, and has subdued the nations under me; 49 my deliverer from angry enemies: thou shalt set me on high above them that rise up against me: thou shalt deliver me from the unrighteous man. 50 Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name. 51 [God] magnifies the deliverances of his king; and deals mercifully with David his anointed, and his seed, for ever.

Psalm 18 (19)

1 For the end, a Psalm of David. 2 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands. 3 Day to day utters speech, and night to night proclaims knowledge. 4 There are no speeches or words, in which their voices are not heard. 5 Their voice is gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. 6 In the sun he has set his tabernacle; and he comes forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber: he will exult as a giant to run his course. 7 His going forth is from the extremity of heaven, and his circuit to the [other] end of heaven: and no one shall be hidden from his heat. 8 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting souls: the testimony of the Lord is faithful, instructing babes. 9 The ordinances of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes. 10 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, [and] justified altogether. 11 To be desired more than gold, and much precious stone: sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb. 12 For thy servant keeps to them: in the keeping of them [there is] great reward. 13 Who will understand [his] transgressions? purge thou me from my secret [sins]. 14 And spare thy servant [the attack] of strangers: if they do not gain the dominion over me, then shall I be blameless, and I shall be clear from great sin. 15 So shall the sayings of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing continually before thee, O Lord my helper, and my redeemer.

2 Peter 1

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; 6 and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness; 7 and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 11 For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 12 Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, 14 knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure. 16 For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. 21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.