Daily Readings for April 28
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Deuteronomy 15

 

1.At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. 2.This is the way of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because Yahweh's release has been proclaimed. 3.Of a foreigner you may exact it: but whatever of your is with your brother your hand shall release. 4.However there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;) 5.if only you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you this day. 6.For Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you. 7.If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; 8.but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks. 9.Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, "The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand;" and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. 10.You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to. 11.For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land. 12.If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and serves you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13.When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty: 14.you shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress; as Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. 15.You shall remember that you were a bondservant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing today. 16.It shall be, if he tells you, "I will not go out from you;" because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you; 17.then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise. 18.It shall not seem hard to you, when you let him go free from you; for to the double of the hire of a hireling has he served you six years: and Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do. 19.All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to Yahweh your God: you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20.You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household. 21.If it has any blemish, is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God. 22.You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle, and as the hart. 23.Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground as water.

 

Ecclesiastes 7

 

1.A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth. 2.It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart. 3.Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good. 4.The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 5.It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 6.For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity. 7.Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding. 8.Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.

The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9.Don't be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. 10.Don't say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.

11.Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun. 12.For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

13.Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked? 14.In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.

15.All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing. 16.Don't be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17.Don't be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time? 18.It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that don't withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all. 19.Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20.Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin. 21.Also don't take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you; 22.for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others. 23.All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me. 24.That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out? 25.I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

26.I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

27."Behold, I have found this," says the Preacher, "one to another, to find out the scheme; 28.which my soul still seeks; but I have not found. One man among a thousand have I found; but I have not found a woman among all those. 29.Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes."

 

Acts 5

 

1.But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, 2.and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3.But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4.While you kept it, didn't it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn't it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven't lied to men, but to God."

5.Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things. 6.The young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him. 7.About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. 8.Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much."

She said, "Yes, for so much."

9.But Peter asked her, "How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."

10.She fell down immediately at his feet, and died. The young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. 11.Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things. 12.By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. 13.None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them. 14.More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. 15.They even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them. 16.Multitudes also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people, and those who were tormented by unclean spirits: and they were all healed.

17.But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy, 18.and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody. 19.But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out, and said, 20."Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life."

21.When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and those who were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22.But the officers who came didn't find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23."We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!"

24.Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this. 25.One came and told them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people." 26.Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.

27.When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28.saying, "Didn't we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood on us."

29.But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. 30.The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree. 31.God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. 32.We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

33.But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and determined to kill them. 34.But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the apostles out for a little while. 35.He said to them, "You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do. 36.For before these days Theudas rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing. 37.After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad. 38.Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown. 39.But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!"

40.They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41.They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus' name.

42.Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ.

 

Acts 6

 

1.Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists¹⁶ against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service. 2.The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables. 3.Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4.But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word."

5.These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch; 6.whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7.The word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

8.Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9.But some of those who were of the synagogue called "The Libertines," and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen. 10.They weren't able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11.Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12.They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, and brought him in to the council, 13.and set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. 14.For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us." 15.All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.

 

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