Thursday of the 2nd week of Lent

5The LORD says:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man,

relies on strength of flesh,

and whose heart departs from the LORD.

6For he will be like a bush in the desert,

and will not see when good comes,

but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,

an uninhabited salt land.

7“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

and whose confidence is in the LORD.

8For he will be as a tree planted by the waters,

who spreads out its roots by the river,

and will not fear when heat comes,

but its leaf will be green,

and will not be concerned in the year of drought.

It won’t cease from yielding fruit.

9The heart is deceitful above all things

and it is exceedingly corrupt.

Who can know it?

10“I, the LORD, search the mind.

I try the heart,

even to give every man according to his ways,

according to the fruit of his doings.”

1Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stand on the path of sinners,

nor sit in the seat of scoffers;

2but his delight is in the LORD’s law.

On his law he meditates day and night.

3He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water,

that produces its fruit in its season,

whose leaf also does not wither.

Whatever he does shall prosper.

4The wicked are not so,

but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

…

6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked shall perish.

19“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores, 21and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 24He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted and you are in anguish. 26Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’ 27“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ 29“But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”