Morning Prayer

A Reading from the Book of Proverbs.

15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded,    and a soft tongue can break bones. 16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,    or else, having too much, you will vomit it. 17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbour’s house,    otherwise the neighbour will become weary of you and hate you. 18 Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow    is one who bears false witness against a neighbour. 19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot    is trust in a faithless person in time of trouble. 20 Like vinegar on a wound    is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. Like a moth in clothing or a worm in wood,    sorrow gnaws at the human heart. 21 If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat;    and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink; 22 for you will heap coals of fire on their heads,    and the Lord will reward you. 23 The north wind produces rain,    and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. 24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop    than in a house shared with a contentious wife. 25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul,    so is good news from a far country. 26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain    are the righteous who give way before the wicked. 27 It is not good to eat much honey,    or to seek honour on top of honour. 28 Like a city breached, without walls, is one who lacks self-control.

A Reading from the First Letter to Timothy.

6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. 20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; 21 by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you.