Leviticus 24

• 1. The LORD said to Moses,
• 2. "Command the people of Israel to provide you with pure olive oil for the lampstand, so it can be kept burning continually.
• 3. Aaron will set it up outside the inner curtain of the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle and must arrange to have the lamps tended continually, from evening until morning, before the LORD. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be kept by all future generations.
• 4. The lamps on the pure gold lampstand must be tended continually in the LORD's presence.
• 5. "You must bake twelve loaves of bread from choice flour, using three quarts of flour for each loaf.
• 6. Place the bread in the LORD's presence on the pure gold table, and arrange the loaves in two rows, with six in each row.
• 7. Sprinkle some pure frankincense near each row. It will serve as a token offering, to be burned in place of the bread as an offering given to the LORD by fire.
• 8. Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the LORD on behalf of the Israelites as a continual part of the covenant.
• 9. The loaves of bread belong to Aaron and his male descendants, who must eat them in a sacred place, for they represent a most holy portion of the offerings given to the LORD by fire."
• 10. One day a man who had an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father got into a fight with one of the Israelite men.
• 11. During the fight, this son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the LORD's name. So the man was brought to Moses for judgment. His mother's name was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.
• 12. They put the man in custody until the LORD's will in the matter should become clear.
• 13. Then the LORD said to Moses,
• 14. "Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and tell all those who heard him to lay their hands on his head. Then let the entire community stone him to death.
• 15. Say to the people of Israel: Those who blaspheme God will suffer the consequences of their guilt and be punished.
• 16. Anyone who blasphemes the LORD's name must be stoned to death by the whole community of Israel. Any Israelite or foreigner among you who blasphemes the LORD's name will surely die.
• 17. "Anyone who takes another person's life must be put to death.
• 18. "Anyone who kills another person's animal must pay it back in full--a live animal for the animal that was killed.
• 19. "Anyone who injures another person must be dealt with according to the injury inflicted--
• 20. fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Whatever anyone does to hurt another person must be paid back in kind.
• 21. "Whoever kills an animal must make full restitution, but whoever kills another person must be put to death.
• 22. "These same regulations apply to Israelites by birth and foreigners who live among you. I, the LORD, am your God."
• 23. After Moses gave all these instructions to the Israelites, they led the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Psalms 31

• 1. O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be put to shame. Rescue me, for you always do what is right.
• 2. Bend down and listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be for me a great rock of safety, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
• 3. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this peril.
• 4. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone.
• 5. I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God.
• 6. I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the LORD.
• 7. I am overcome with joy because of your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.
• 8. You have not handed me over to my enemy but have set me in a safe place.
• 9. Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. My sight is blurred because of my tears. My body and soul are withering away.
• 10. I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Misery has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.
• 11. I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors--even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they turn the other way.
• 12. I have been ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot.
• 13. I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life.
• 14. But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "You are my God!"
• 15. My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
• 16. Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, save me.
• 17. Don't let me be disgraced, O LORD, for I call out to you for help. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them lie silent in the grave.
• 18. May their lying lips be silenced--those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.
• 19. Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
• 20. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.
• 21. Praise the LORD, for he has shown me his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.
• 22. In sudden fear I had cried out, "I have been cut off from the LORD!" But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.
• 23. Love the LORD, all you faithful ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes all who are arrogant.
• 24. So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!

Ecclesiastes 7

• 1. A good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume. In the same way, the day you die is better than the day you are born.
• 2. It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time.
• 3. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.
• 4. A wise person thinks much about death, while the fool thinks only about having a good time now.
• 5. It is better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool!
• 6. Indeed, a fool's laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless.
• 7. Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart.
• 8. Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.
• 9. Don't be quick-tempered, for anger is the friend of fools.
• 10. Don't long for "the good old days," for you don't know whether they were any better than today.
• 11. Being wise is as good as being rich; in fact, it is better.
• 12. Wisdom or money can get you almost anything, but it's important to know that only wisdom can save your life.
• 13. Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don't fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?
• 14. Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life.
• 15. In this meaningless life, I have seen everything, including the fact that some good people die young and some wicked people live on and on.
• 16. So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?
• 17. On the other hand, don't be too wicked either--don't be a fool! Why should you die before your time?
• 18. So try to walk a middle course--but those who fear God will succeed either way.
• 19. A wise person is stronger than the ten leading citizens of a town!
• 20. There is not a single person in all the earth who is always good and never sins.
• 21. Don't eavesdrop on others--you may hear your servant laughing at you.
• 22. For you know how often you yourself have laughed at others.
• 23. All along I have tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, "I am determined to be wise." But it didn't really work.
• 24. Wisdom is always distant and very difficult to find.
• 25. I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.
• 26. I discovered that a seductive woman is more bitter than death. Her passion is a trap, and her soft hands will bind you. Those who please God will escape from her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.
• 27. "This is my conclusion," says the Teacher. "I came to this result after looking into the matter from every possible angle.
• 28. Just one out of every thousand men I interviewed can be said to be upright, but not one woman!
• 29. I discovered that God created people to be upright, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path."

New Living Translation: 110 of 365 days.