July 10, 2026

2Sincere Conversion and New Life - Return, Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have stumbled because of your iniquity. 3Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and take what is good. Let us offer the fruit of our lips. 4Assyria will not save us, nor will we mount horses; We will never again say, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.” 5I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them. 6I will be like the dew for Israel: he will blossom like the lily; He will strike root like the Lebanon cedar, 7and his shoots will go forth. His splendor will be like the olive tree and his fragrance like Lebanon cedar. 8Again they will live in his shade; they will raise grain, They will blossom like the vine, and his renown will be like the wine of Lebanon. 9Ephraim! What more have I to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will take note of him. I am like a verdant cypress tree. From me fruit will be found for you! 10Epilogue - Who is wise enough to understand these things? Who is intelligent enough to know them? Straight are the paths of the LORD, the just walk in them, but sinners stumble in them.

3I - Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. 4Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. 8Behold, you desire true sincerity; and secretly you teach me wisdom. 9Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 12A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. 13Do not drive me from before your face, nor take from me your holy spirit. 14Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a willing spirit. 17Lord, you will open my lips; and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

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16Coming Persecutions. “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. 17But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, 18and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. 20For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.