Day 273 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

Sirach 34

1 Watching for riches consumeth the flesh, and the care thereof driveth away sleep. 2 Watching care will not let a man slumber, as a sore disease breaketh sleep. 3 The rich hath great labour in gathering riches together; and when he resteth, he is filled with his delicacies. 4 The poor laboureth in his poor estate; and when he leaveth off, he is still needy. 5 He that loveth gold shall not be justified, and he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof. 6 Gold hath been the ruin of many, and their destruction was present. 7 It is a stumblingblock unto them that sacrifice unto it, and every fool shall be taken therewith. 8 Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold. 9 Who is he? and we will call him blessed: for wonderful things hath he done among his people. 10 Who hath been tried thereby, and found perfect? then let him glory. Who might offend, and hath not offended? or done evil, and hath not done it? 11 His goods shall be established, and the congregation shall declare his alms. 12 If thou sit at a bountiful table, be not greedy upon it, and say not, There is much meat on it. 13 Remember that a wicked eye is an evil thing: and what is created more wicked than an eye? therefore it weepeth upon every occasion. 14 Stretch not thine hand whithersoever it looketh, and thrust it not with him into the dish. 15 Judge of thy neighbour by thyself: and be discreet in every point. 16 Eat, as it becometh a man, those things which are set before thee; and devour not, lest thou be hated. 17 Leave off first for manners' sake; and be not unsatiable, lest thou offend. 18 When thou sittest among many, reach not thine hand out first of all. 19 A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured, and he fetcheth not his wind short upon his bed. 20 Sound sleep cometh of moderate eating: he riseth early, and his wits are with him: but the pain of watching, and choler, and pangs of the belly, are with an unsatiable man. 21 And if thou hast been forced to eat, arise, go forth, vomit, and thou shalt have rest. 22 My son, hear me, and despise me not, and at the last thou shalt find as I told thee: in all thy works be quick, so shall there no sickness come unto thee. 23 Whoso is liberal of his meat, men shall speak well of him; and the report of his good housekeeping will be believed. 24 But against him that is a niggard of his meat the whole city shall murmur; and the testimonies of his niggardness shall not be doubted of. 25 Shew not thy valiantness in wine; for wine hath destroyed many. 26 The furnace proveth the edge by dipping: so doth wine the hearts of the proud by drunkenness. 27 Wine is as good as life to a man, if it be drunk moderately: what life is then to a man that is without wine? for it was made to make men glad. 28 Wine measurably drunk and in season bringeth gladness of the heart, and cheerfulness of the mind: 29 but wine drunken with excess maketh bitterness of the mind, with brawling and quarrelling. 30 Drunkenness increaseth the rage of a fool till he offend: it diminisheth strength, and maketh wounds. 31 Rebuke not thy neighbour at the wine, and despise him not in his mirth: give him no despiteful words, and press not upon him with urging him [to drink].

Sirach 35

1 If thou be made the master [of a feast], lift not thyself up, but be among them as one of the rest; take diligent care for them, and so sit down. 2 And when thou hast done all thy office, take thy place, that thou mayest be merry with them, and receive a crown for thy well ordering of the feast. 3 Speak, thou that art the elder, for it becometh thee, but with sound judgment; and hinder not music. 4 Pour not out words where there is a musician, and shew not forth wisdom out of time. 5 A concert of music in a banquet of wine is as a signet of carbuncle set in gold. 6 As a signet of an emerald set in a work of gold, so is the melody of music with pleasant wine. 7 Speak, young man, if there be need of thee: and yet scarcely when thou art twice asked. 8 Let thy speech be short, comprehending much in few words; be as one that knoweth and yet holdeth his tongue. 9 If thou be among great men, make not thyself equal with them; and when ancient men are in place, use not many words. 10 Before the thunder goeth lightning; and before a shamefaced man shall go favour. 11 Rise up betimes, and be not the last; but get thee home without delay. 12 There take thy pastime, and do what thou wilt: but sin not by proud speech. 13 And for these things bless him that made thee, and hath replenished thee with his good things. 14 Whoso feareth the Lord will receive his discipline; and they that seek him early shall find favour. 15 He that seeketh the law shall be filled therewith: but the hypocrite will be offended thereat. 16 They that fear the Lord shall find judgment, and shall kindle justice as a light. 17 A sinful man will not be reproved, but findeth an excuse according to his will. 18 A man of counsel will be considerate; but a strange and proud man is not daunted with fear, even when of himself he hath done without counsel. 19 Do nothing without advice; and when thou hast once done, repent not. 20 Go not in a way wherein thou mayest fall, and stumble not among the stones. 21 Be not confident in a plain way. 22 And beware of thine own children. 23 In every good work trust thy own soul; for this is the keeping of the commandments. 24 He that believeth in the Lord taketh heed to the commandment; and he that trusteth in him shall fare never the worse.

Sirach 36

1 There shall no evil happen unto him that feareth the Lord; but in temptation even again he will deliver him. 2 A wise man hateth not the law; but he that is an hypocrite therein is as a ship in a storm. 3 A man of understanding trusteth in the law; and the law is faithful unto him, as an oracle. 4 Prepare what to say, and so thou shalt be heard: and bind up instruction, and then make answer. 5 The heart of the foolish is like a cartwheel; and his thoughts are like a rolling axle-tree. 6 A stallion horse is as a mocking friend, he neigheth under every one that sitteth upon him. 7 Why doth one day excel another, when as all the light of every day in the year is of the sun? 8 By the knowledge of the Lord they were distinguished: and he altered seasons and feasts. 9 Some of them hath he made high days, and hallowed [them], and some of them hath he made ordinary days. 10 And all men are from the ground, and Adam was created of earth. 11 In much knowledge the Lord hath divided them, and made their ways diverse. 12 Some of them hath he blessed and exalted, and some of them hath he sanctified, and set near himself: but some of them hath he cursed and brought low, and turned out of their places. 13 As the clay is in the potter's hand, to fashion it at his pleasure: so man is in the hand of him that made him, to render to them as liketh him best. 14 Good is set against evil, and life against death: so is the godly against the sinner, and the sinner against the godly. 15 So look upon all the works of the most High; and there are two and two, one against another. 16 Though I was the last to wake up, yet I received their inheritance as from the beginning. 17 O Lord have mercy upon the people that is called by thy name, and upon Israel, whom thou hast named thy firstborn. 18 O be merciful unto Jerusalem, thy holy city, the place of thy rest. 19 Fill Sion with thine unspeakable oracles, and thy people with thy glory. 20 Give testimony unto those that thou hast possessed from the beginning, and raise up prophets that have been in thy name. 21 Reward them that wait for thee, and let thy prophets be found faithful. 22 O Lord, hear the prayer of thy servants, according to the blessing of Aaron over thy people, that all they which dwell upon the earth may know that thou art the Lord, the eternal God. 23 The belly devoureth all meats, yet is one meat better than another. 24 As the palate tasteth divers kinds of venison: so doth an heart of understanding false speeches. 25 A froward heart causeth heaviness: but a man of experience will recompense him. 26 A woman will receive every man, yet is one daughter better than another. 27 The beauty of a woman cheereth the countenance, and a man loveth nothing better. 28 If there be kindness, meekness, and comfort, in her tongue, then is not her husband like other men. 29 He that getteth a wife beginneth a possession, a help like unto himself, and a pillar of rest. 30 Where no hedge is, there the possession is spoiled: and he that hath no wife will wander up and down mourning. 31 Who will trust a thief well appointed, that skippeth from city to city? so [who will believe] a man that hath no house, and lodgeth wheresoever the night taketh him?

Ephesians 6

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: 3 “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” 4 You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5 Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ, 6 not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same good again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free. 9 You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him. 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace, 16 above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints. 19 Pray for me, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.