Readings for April 6, 2022: Wednesday of the 5th week of Great Lent

4 Who has wrought and done these things? he has called it who called it from the generations of old; I God, the first and to [all] futurity, I AM. 5 The nations saw, and feared; the ends of the earth drew nigh, and came together, 6 every one judging for his neighbour and [that] to assist his brother: and one will say, 7 The artificer has become strong, and the coppersmith that smites with the hammer, [and] forges also: sometimes he will say, It is a piece well joined: they have fastened them with nails; they will fix them, and they shall not be moved. 8 But thou, Israel, art my servant Jacob, and he whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraam, whom I have loved: 9 whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and from the high places of it I have called thee, and said to thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and I have not forsaken thee. 10 Fear not; for I am with thee: wander not; for I am thy God, who have strengthened thee; and I have helped thee, and have established thee with my just right hand. 11 Behold, all thine adversaries shall be ashamed and confounded; for they shall be as if they were not: and all thine opponents shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and thou shalt not find the men who shall insolently rage against thee: for they shall be as if they were not, and they that war against thee shall not be. 13 For I am thy God, who holdeth thy right hand, who saith to thee, 14 Fear not, Jacob, [and thou] Israel few in number; I have helped thee, saith thy God, he that redeems thee, O Israel.

1 And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am thy God, be well-pleasing before me, and be blameless. 2 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell upon his face, and God spoke to him, saying, 4 And I, behold! my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of a multitude of nations. 5 And thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraam, for I have made thee a father of many nations. 6 And I will increase thee very exceedingly, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between thee and thy seed after thee, to their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be thy God, and [the God] of thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give to thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou sojournest, even all the land of Chanaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them a God. 9 And God said to Abraam, Thou also shalt fully keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee for their generations.

Proverbs 15

20 A wise son gladdens [his] father; but a foolish son sneers at his mother. 21 The ways of a foolish man are void of sense; but a wise man proceeds on his way aright. 22 They that honour not councils put off deliberation; but counsel abides in the hearts of counsellors. 23 A bad man will by no means attend to counsel; neither will he say anything seasonable, or good for the common [weal]. 24 The thoughts of the wise are ways of life, that he may turn aside and escape from hell. 25 The Lord pulls down the houses of scorners; but he establishes the border of the widow. 26 An unrighteous thought is abomination to the Lord; but the sayings of the pure are held in honour. 27 A receiver of bribes destroys himself; but he that hates the receiving of bribes is safe. 27a [By alms and by faithful dealings sins are purged away;] but by the fear of the Lord every one departs from evil. 28 The hearts of the righteous meditate faithfulness; but the mouth of the ungodly answers evil things. 28a The ways of righteous men are acceptable with the Lord; and through them even enemies become friends. 29 God is far from the ungodly; but he hearkens to the prayers of the righteous. 29a Better are small receipts with righteousness, than abundant fruits with unrighteousness. 29b Let the heart of a man think justly, that his steps may be rightly ordered of God. 30 The eye that sees rightly rejoices the heart; and a good report fattens the bones. 32 He that rejects instruction hates himself; but he that minds reproofs loves his soul. 33 The fear of the Lord is instruction and wisdom; and the highest honour will correspond therewith.

Proverbs 16

2 All the works of the humble [man] are manifest with God; but the ungodly shall perish in an evil day. 5 Every one that is proud in heart is unclean before God, and he that unjustly strikes hands with hand shall not be held guiltless. 7 The beginning of a good way is to do justly; and it is more acceptable with God than to offer sacrifices. 8 He that seeks the Lord shall find knowledge with righteousness: and they that rightly seek him shall find peace. 9 All the works of the Lord [are done] with righteousness; and the ungodly [man] is kept for the evil day.

10 And Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed into Charrhan. 11 And came to a certain place and slept there, for the sun had gone down; and he took [one] of the stones of the place, and put it at his head, and lay down to sleep in that place, 12 and dreamed, and behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it. 13 And the Lord stood upon it, and said, I am the God of thy father Abraam, and the God of Isaac; fear not, the land on which thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. 14 And thy seed shall be as the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and the south, and the north, and to the east; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed. 15 And behold I am with thee to preserve thee continually in all the way wherein thou shalt go; and I will bring thee back to this land; for I will not desert thee, until I have done all that I have said to thee. 16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said, The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How fearful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Ezekiel 43

27 And it shall come to pass from the eighth day and onward, [that] the priests shall offer your whole-burnt-offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord.

Ezekiel 44

1 Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that looks eastward; and it was shut. 2 And the Lord said to me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it shall be shut. 3 For the prince, he shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord; he shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go forth by the way of the same. 4 And he brought me in by the way of the gate that looks northward, in front of the house: and I looked, and, behold, the house was full of the glory of the Lord: and I fell upon my face.

1 Wisdom has built a house for herself, and set up seven pillars. 2 She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine in a bowl, and prepared her table. 3 She has sent forth her servants, calling with a loud proclamation to the feast, saying, 4 Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to me: and to them that want understanding she says, 5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which I have mingled for you. 6 Leave folly, that ye may reign for ever; and seek wisdom, and improve understanding by knowledge. 7 He that reproves evil [men] shall get dishonour to himself; and he that rebukes an ungodly [man] shall disgrace himself. 8 Rebuke not evil [men], lest they should hate thee: rebuke a wise [man], and he will love thee. 9 Give an opportunity to a wise [man], and he will be wiser: instruct a just man, and he will receive more [instruction]. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of saints is understanding: 10a for to know the law is [the character] of a sound mind. 11 For in this way thou shalt live long, and years of thy life shall be added to thee.