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HomeYearly PlanBible in a Year - December - 17 | Day - 351

Bible in a Year – December – 17 | Day – 351

This is not the Readings at the Mass. For the Mass Readings, check the Mass Readings taken from the New Jerusalem Bible or the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible.
December – 17 | Day – 351
Old Testament: Sirach – 25-26 | Second Maccabees – 8:1-15

1 My spirit is pleased with three things; these are approved in the sight of God and men:

2 the harmony of brothers, and the love of neighbors, and a husband and wife agreeing well together.

3 My soul hates three kinds of things; and I am greatly distressed over their souls:

4 an arrogant pauper, a wealthy liar, a foolish and senseless elder.

5 The things that you have not obtained in your youth, how will you find them in your old age?

6 How beautiful it is for a grey head to have judgment, and for elders to know counsel!

7 How beautiful it is for those who are aged to have wisdom, and for those who are honored to have understanding and counsel!

8 Great experience is the crown of the aged, and the fear of God is their glory.

9 I have magnified nine things, overlooked by the heart; and a tenth, I will declare to men with my tongue:

10 a man who finds joy in his children, and one who lives to see the undoing of his enemies.

11 Blessed is he who lives with a wise wife, and he who has not slipped with his tongue, and he who has not served those unworthy of himself.

12 Blessed is he who finds a true friend, and he who describes justice to an attentive ear.

13 How great is he who finds wisdom and knowledge! But there is no one above him who fears the Lord.

14 The fear of God has set itself above all things.

15 Blessed is the man to whom it has been given to have the fear of God. He who holds to it, to whom can he be compared?

16 The fear of God is the beginning of his love; and the beginning of faith has been joined closely to the same.

17 The sadness of the heart is every wound. And the wickedness of a wife is every malice.

18 And a man will choose any wound, but the wound of the heart,

19 and any wickedness, but the wickedness of a wife,

20 and any obstacle, but the obstacle of those who hate him,

21 and any vindication, but the vindication of his enemies.

22 There is no head worse than the head of a serpent,

23 and there is no anger above the anger of a wife. It would be more agreeable to abide with a lion or a dragon, than to live with a wicked wife.

24 A wicked wife changes her face. And she darkens her countenance like a bear. And she displays it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbors,

25 her husband groans, and hearing of this, he sighs a little.

26 All malice is brief compared to the malice of a wife. Let the fate of sinners fall upon her!

27 As climbing over sand is to the feet of the aged, so is a talkative wife to a quiet man.

28 You should not favor a woman’s beauty, and you should not desire a wife for her beauty.

29 The anger and disrespect and shame from a wife can be great.

30 The wife, if she has primacy, is set against her husband.

31 A wicked wife debases the heart, and saddens the face, and wounds the heart.

32 A wife who does not make her husband happy enfeebles the hands and weakens the knees.

33 The beginning of sin came from a woman; and through her, we all die.

34 You should not provide an exit to your water, not even a little; nor should you give permission for a wicked wife to exceed the limit.

35 If she will not walk at your hand, she will confound you in the sight of your enemies.

36 Tear her away from your body, lest she abuse you continually.

1 Blessed is the husband of a good wife. For the number of his years is doubled.

2 A good wife delights her husband, and she will fill up the years of his life with peace.

3 A good wife is a good portion. She will be given the portion of those who fear God, like a man who has done good deeds.

4 But, rich or poor, with a good heart, his countenance will be cheerful at all times.

5 Of three things, my heart has been afraid, and at a fourth, my face has shown dread:

6 an accusation made by a city, and the gathering of a mob,

7 and a deceitful false accusation. All these are more grievous than death.

8 A jealous wife is a grief and a mourning to the heart.

9 In a jealous wife, there is a scourge of the tongue, which communicates with everyone.

10 Like a yoke of oxen being provoked, so also is a wicked wife. He who has hold of her is like one who has taken hold of a scorpion.

11 An inebriated wife is a great wrath. And her disgrace and indecency will not be covered.

12 The fornication of a wife will become known by the haughtiness of her eyes and by her eyelids.

13 So that her daughter will not also turn away, keep a strict watch; otherwise, having found an opportunity, she may enjoy herself.

14 Be wary of the irreverence of her eyes, and you should not wonder if she might disregard you.

15 Like a thirsty traveler, she will open her mouth to the fountain, and she will drink from every water nearby, and she will sit down beside every fencepost, and she will open her quiver to every arrow, until she becomes weary.

16 The grace of an attentive wife will delight her husband, and will fatten his bones.

17 Her discipline is a gift from God.

18 Such is an understanding and quiet wife. For there is no substitution for a well-instructed soul.

19 A holy and contrite wife is grace upon grace.

20 And no amount of money is equal to the value of a soul with self-restraint.

21 Like the sun rising over the world in the high places of God, so the beauty of a good wife is the adornment of her house.

22 Like a lamp shining atop a holy lampstand, so is the beauty of a face in the mature stage of life.

23 Like golden pillars upon bases of silver, so are the firm feet of a mature wife upon the soles of her feet.

24 Like everlasting foundations upon a solid rock, so are the commandments of God in the heart of a holy wife.

25 By two things, my heart is greatly saddened, and at a third, anger overwhelms me:

26 a man of war failing because of dire need, and an understanding man treated with contempt,

27 and anyone who crosses over from justice to sin. God has prepared such a one for the spear.

28 Two kinds of things have seemed difficult and dangerous to me: a merchant will not be easily freed from his negligence, and a shopkeeper will not be justified by the sins of his lips.

&

1 In truth, Judas Maccabeus, and those who were with him, went secretly into the villages, and, calling together their relatives and friends, and accepting among them those who persevered in Judaism, they brought six thousand men together.

2 And they called upon the Lord: to look upon his people, who were down trodden by all; and to take pity on the temple, which was defiled by the impius;

3 and even to take pity on the city by utter destruction, for it was willing to be immediately leveled to the ground; and to hear the voice of the blood that was crying out to him,

4 so that he would remember also the most iniquitous deaths of the innocent little ones, and the blasphemies brought upon his name; and to show his indignation over these things.

5 And so Maccabeus, having gathered together a multitude, could not be withstood by the Gentiles. For the wrath of the Lord had turned into mercy.

6 And so, overwhelming the towns and cities unexpectedly, he set them on fire. And, occupying strategic positions, he made no small slaughter of the enemies.

7 Moreover, especially in the nights, he carried out expeditions in this way. And the fame of his virtuous strength was spread abroad everywhere.

8 Then Philip, seeing that the man gained ground little by little, and that things frequently fell out in his favor, wrote to Ptolemy, governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, to send auxiliaries to carry out the work of the king.

9 And so, he quickly sent Nicanor, son of Patroclus, from his foremost friends, providing him with no less than twenty thousand armed men from throughout the Gentiles, to wipe out the entire race of the Jews, joining with him Gorgias, a military man with very great experience in the things of warfare.

10 Moreover, Nicanor decided to raise a tribute for the king of two thousand talents, which was to be given to the Romans, and which would be supplied by means of the captivity of the Jews.

11 And immediately he sent to the maritime cities, calling them to the auction of the Jewish slaves, promising them a parcel of ninety slaves for one talent, not reflecting on the vengeance which would befall him subsequently from the Almighty.

12 Then, when Judas learned that Nicanor was approaching, he revealed it to those Jews who were with him.

13 And certain ones among them, being afraid and not trusting in the justice of God, turned and fled away.

14 In truth, others sold all that was in excess, and together beseeched the Lord, that he would rescue them from the impious Nicanor, who had sold them before he even came near them,

15 and if not for their sakes, then for the sake of the covenant which was made with their fathers, and for the sake of the invocation of his holy and magnificent name over them.

Psalms: Psalms – 143:4-12

4 And my spirit is in anguish within me: my heart within me is troubled.

5 I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all thy works: I meditated upon the works of thy hands.

6 I stretched forth my hands to thee: my soul is as earth without water unto thee.

7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not away thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for in thee have I hoped. Make the way known to me, wherein I should walk: for I have lifted up my soul to thee.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to thee have I fled:

10 Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy good spirit shall lead me into the right land:

11 For thy name’s sake, O Lord, thou wilt quicken me in thy justice. Thou wilt bring my soul out of trouble:

12 And in thy mercy thou wilt destroy my enemies. And thou wilt cut off all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

New Testament: Revelations – 5

1 And in the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne, I saw a book, written inside and out, sealed with seven seals.

2 And I saw a strong Angel, proclaiming with a great voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”

3 And no one was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to gaze upon it.

4 And I wept greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it.

5 And one of the elders said to me: “Weep not. Behold, the lion from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to break its seven seals.”

6 And I saw, and behold, in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb was standing, as if it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth to all the earth.

7 And he approached and received the book from the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne.

8 And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having stringed instruments, as well as golden bowls full of fragrances, which are the prayers of the saints.

9 And they were singing a new canticle, saying: “O Lord, you are worthy to receive the book and to open its seals, because you were slain and have redeemed us for God, by your blood, from every tribe and language and people and nation.

10 And you have made us into a kingdom and into priests for our God, and we shall reign over the earth.”

11 And I saw, and I heard the voice of many Angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders, (and their number was thousands of thousands)

12 saying with a great voice: “The Lamb who was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”

13 And every creature that is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and all that is within the sea: I heard them all saying: “To the One sitting upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing, and honor, and glory, and authority, forever and ever.”

14 And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen.” And the twenty-four elders fell down on their faces, and they adored the One who lives forever and ever.

Simplest Bible in a Year plan compiled using the “Catholic Public Domain Version Bible“. This is not the Readings at the Mass. For the Mass Readings, check the Mass Readings taken from the New Jerusalem Bible or the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible.
Pradeep Augustine
Pradeep Augustinehttps://www.catholicgallery.org/
Pradeep Augustine is the founder of Catholic Gallery. He is a passionate Writer, An Artist, a computer geek and a part-time Blogger who loves to write a lot of contents on Catholicism in his free time. He is the founder of the Technical Blog www.GetCoolTricks.com, where he shares a lot of technical Contents. Stay connected with him on his social profiles.

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