Day 274 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

Sirach 37

1 Every friend saith, I am his friend also: but there is a friend, which is only a friend in name. 2 Is it not a grief unto death, when a companion and friend is turned to an enemy? 3 O wicked imagination, whence camest thou in to cover the earth with deceit? 4 There is a companion, which rejoiceth in the prosperity of a friend, but in the time of trouble will be against him. 5 There is a companion, which helpeth his friend for the belly, and taketh up the buckler against the enemy. 6 Forget not thy friend in thy mind, and be not unmindful of him in thy riches. 7 Every counsellor extolleth counsel; but there is some that counselleth for himself. 8 Beware of a counsellor, and know before what need he hath; for he will counsel for himself; lest he cast the lot upon thee, 9 and say unto thee, Thy way is good: and afterward he stand on the other side, to see what shall befall thee. 10 Consult not with one that suspecteth thee: and hide thy counsel from such as envy thee. 11 Neither consult with a woman touching her of whom she is jealous; neither with a coward in matters of war; nor with a merchant concerning exchange; nor with a buyer of selling; nor with an envious man of thankfulness; nor with an unmerciful man touching kindness; nor with the slothful for any work; nor with an hireling for a year of finishing work; nor with an idle servant of much business: hearken not unto these in any matter of counsel. 12 But be continually with a godly man, whom thou knowest to keep the commandments of the Lord, whose mind is according to thy mind, and will sorrow with thee, if thou shalt miscarry. 13 And let the counsel of thine own heart stand: for there is no man more faithful unto thee than it; 14 for a man's mind is sometime wont to tell him more than seven watchmen, that sit above in an high tower. 15 And above all this pray to the most High, that he will direct thy way in truth. 16 Let reason go before every enterprize, and counsel before every action. 17 The countenance is a sign of changing of the heart. 18 Four manners of things appear: good and evil, life and death: but the tongue ruleth over them continually. 19 There is one that is wise and teacheth many, and yet is unprofitable to himself. 20 There is one that sheweth wisdom in words, and is hated: he shall be destitute of all food. 21 For grace is not given him from the Lord; because he is deprived of all wisdom. 22 Another is wise to himself; and the fruits of understanding are commendable in his mouth. 23 A wise man instructeth his people; and the fruits of his understanding fail not. 24 A wise man shall be filled with blessing; and all they that see him shall count him happy. 25 The days of the life of man may be numbered; but the days of Israel are innumerable. 26 A wise man shall inherit glory among his people, and his name shall be perpetual. 27 My son, prove thy soul in thy life, and see what is evil for it, and give not that unto it. 28 For all things are not profitable for all men, neither hath every soul pleasure in every thing. 29 Be not insatiable in any dainty thing, nor too greedy upon meats: 30 for excess of meats bringeth sickness, and surfeiting will turn into choler. 31 By surfeiting have many perished; but he that taketh heed prolongeth his life.

Sirach 38

1 Honour a physician with the honour due unto him for the uses which ye may have of him: for the Lord hath created him. 2 For of the most High cometh healing, and he shall receive honour of the king. 3 The skill of the physician shall lift up his head: and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration. 4 The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them. 5 Was not the water made sweet with wood, that the virtue thereof might be known? 6 And he hath given men skill, that he might be honoured in his marvellous works. 7 With such doth he heal [men,] and taketh away their pains. 8 Of such doth the apothecary make a confection; and of his works there is no end; and from him is peace over all the earth. 9 My son, in thy sickness be not negligent: but pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole. 10 Leave off from sin, and order thine hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wickedness. 11 Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour; and make a fat offering, as not being. 12 Then give place to the physician, for the Lord hath created him: let him not go from thee, for thou hast need of him. 13 There is a time when in their hands there is good success. 14 For they shall also pray unto the Lord, that he would prosper that which they give for ease and remedy to prolong life. 15 He that sinneth before his Maker, let him fall into the hand of the physician. 16 My son, let tears fall down over the dead, and begin to lament, as if thou hadst suffered great harm thyself; and then cover his body according to the custom, and neglect not his burial. 17 Weep bitterly, and make great moan, and use lamentation, as he is worthy, and that a day or two, lest thou be evil spoken of: and then comfort thyself for thy heaviness; 18 for of heaviness cometh death, and the heaviness of the heart breaketh strength. 19 In affliction also sorrow remaineth: and the life of the poor is the curse of the heart. 20 Take no heaviness to heart: drive it away, and remember the last end. 21 Forget him not, for there is no turning again: thou shalt not do him good, but hurt thyself. 22 Remember his judgment: for thine also shall be so; yesterday for me, and to day for thee. 23 When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest; and be comforted for him when his spirit is departed from him. 24 The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure: and he that hath little business shall become wise. 25 How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth oxen, and is occupied in their labours, and whose talk is of bullocks? 26 He giveth his mind to make furrows; and is diligent to give the kine fodder. 27 So every carpenter and workmaster, that laboureth night and day: and they that cut and grave seals, and are diligent to make great variety, and give themselves to counterfeit imagery, and watch to finish a work: 28 The smith also sitting by the anvil, and considering the iron work, the vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace: the noise of the hammer and the anvil is ever in his ears, and his eyes look still upon the pattern of the thing that he maketh; he setteth his mind to finish his work, and watcheth to polish it perfectly: 29 So doth the potter sitting at his work, and turning the wheel about with his feet, who is alway carefully set at his work, and maketh all his work by number; 30 he fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet; he applieth himself to lead it over; and he is diligent to make clean the furnace: 31 all these trust to their hands; and every one is wise in his work. 32 Without these cannot a city be inhabited: and they shall not dwell where they will, nor go up and down: 33 they shall not be sought for in public counsel, nor sit high in the congregation: they shall not sit on the judges' seat, nor understand the sentence of judgment: they cannot declare justice and judgment; and they shall not be found where parables are spoken. 34 But they will maintain the state of the world, and [all] their desire is in the work of their craft. But he that giveth his mind to the law of the most High, and is occupied in the meditation thereof,

Philippians 1

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God whenever I remember you, 4 always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy, 5 for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; 6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. 9 This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 12 Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News, 13 so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ, 14 and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will. 16 The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News. 18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice. 19 For I know that this will turn out to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. 23 But I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Yet to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake. 25 Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. 27 Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News; 28 and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God. 29 Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf, 30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.