Day 266 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

Sirach 13

1 He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him. 2 Burden not thyself above thy power while thou livest; and have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than thyself: for how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken. 3 The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also. 4 If thou be for his profit, he will use thee; but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee. 5 If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it. 6 If he have need of thee, he will deceive thee, and smile upon thee, and put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and say, What wantest thou? 7 And he will shame thee by his meats, until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at the last he will laugh thee to scorn: afterward, when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee. 8 Beware that thou be not deceived, and brought down in thy jollity. 9 If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee. 10 Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten. 11 Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk, and believe not his many words: for with much communication will he tempt thee, and smiling upon thee will get out thy secrets: 12 but cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison. 13 Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep. 15 Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbour. 16 All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like. 17 What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly. 18 What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor? 19 As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor. 20 As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor. 21 A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust also away by his friends. 22 When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers: he speaketh things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him: the poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too; he spake wisely, and could have no place. 23 When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and, look, what he saith, they extol it to the clouds: but if the poor man speak, they say, What fellow is this? and if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him. 24 Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly. 25 The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil. 26 A cheerful countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity; and the finding out of parables is a wearisome labour of the mind.

Sirach 14

1 Blessed is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth, and is not pricked with the multitude of sins. 2 Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him, and who is not fallen from his hope [in the Lord]. 3 Riches are not comely for a niggard: and what should an envious man do with money? 4 He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul gathereth for others that shall spend his goods riotously. 5 He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? he shall not take pleasure in his goods. 6 There is none worse than he that envieth himself; and this is a recompence of his wickedness. 7 And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly; and at the last he will declare his wickedness. 8 The envious man hath a wicked eye; he turneth away his face, and despiseth men. 9 A covetous man's eye is not satisfied with his portion; and the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his soul. 10 A wicked eye envieth [his] bread, and he is a niggard at his table. 11 My son, according to thy ability do good to thyself, and give the Lord his due offering. 12 Remember that death will not be long in coming, and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee. 13 Do good unto thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him. 14 Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good desire overpass thee. 15 Shalt thou not leave thy travails unto another? and thy labours to be divided by lot? 16 Give, and take, and sanctify thy soul; for there is no seeking of dainties in the grave. 17 All flesh waxeth old as a garment: for the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shalt die the death. 18 As of the green leaves on a thick tree, some fall, and some grow: so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born. 19 Every work rotteth and consumeth away, and the worker thereof shall go withal. 20 Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom, and that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding. 21 He that considereth her ways in his heart shall also have understanding in her secrets. 22 Go after her as one that traceth, and lie in wait in her ways. 23 He that prieth in at her windows shall also hearken at her doors. 24 He that doth lodge near her house shall also fasten a pin in her walls. 25 He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her, and shall lodge in a lodging where good things are. 26 He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches. 27 By her he shall be covered from heat, and in her glory shall he dwell.

Sirach 15

1 He that feareth the Lord will do good; and he that hath the knowledge of the law shall obtain her; 2 and as a mother shall she meet him, and receive him as a wife married of a virgin. 3 With the bread of understanding shall she feed him, and give him the water of wisdom to drink. 4 He shall be stayed upon her, and shall not be moved; and shall rely upon her, and shall not be confounded. 5 She shall exalt him above his neighbours, and in the midst of the congregation shall she open his mouth. 6 He shall find joy and a crown of gladness, and she shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name. 7 But foolish men shall not attain unto her, and sinners shall not see her. 8 For she is far from pride, and men that are liars cannot remember her. 9 Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner, for it was not sent him of the Lord. 10 For praise shall be uttered in wisdom, and the Lord will prosper it. 11 Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away: for thou oughtest not to do the things that he hateth. 12 Say not thou, He hath caused me to err: for he hath no need of the sinful man. 13 The Lord hateth all abomination; and they that fear God love it not. 14 He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel; 15 if thou wilt, to keep the commandments, and to perform acceptable faithfulness. 16 He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt. 17 Before man is life and death; and whether he liketh shall be given him. 18 For the wisdom of the Lord is great, and he is mighty in power, and beholdeth all things: 19 and his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth every work of man. 20 He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, neither hath he given any man licence to sin.

Ephesians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved. 7 In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him 10 to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him. 11 We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will, 12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. 13 In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. 15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you and the love which you have toward all the saints, 16 don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. 22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.