[tabitha]

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Proverbs 12.8-22

A man is commended according to his good sense,
but one of perverse mind is despised.
Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself
than one who plays the great man but lacks bread.
A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast,
but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits has no sense.
The strong tower of the wicked comes to ruin,
but the root of the righteous stands firm.
An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
but the righteous escapes from trouble.
From the fruit of his words a man is satisfied with good,
and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.
The vexation of a fool is known at once,
but the prudent man ignores an insult.
He who speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
but a false witness utters deceit.
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truthful lips endure for ever,
but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
but those who plan good have joy.
No ill befalls the righteous,
but the wicked are filled with trouble.
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
but those who act faithfully are his delight.

Genesis 9.8-17

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”