Proverbs 18 Cross References - BSB

¹ He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment. ² A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his opinions. ³ With a wicked man comes contempt as well, and shame is accompanied by disgrace. ⁴ The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. ⁵ Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice. ⁶ A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. ⁷ A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. ⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being. ⁹ Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys. ¹⁰ The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. ¹¹ A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; it is like a high wall in his imagination. ¹² Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. ¹³ He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him. ¹⁴ The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit? ¹⁵ The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out. ¹⁶ A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men. ¹⁷ The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him. ¹⁸ Casting the lot ends quarrels and separates strong opponents. ¹⁹ An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified city, and disputes are like the bars of a castle. ²⁰ From the fruit of his mouth a man’s belly is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. ²¹ Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. ²² He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. ²³ The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly. ²⁴ A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.

¹⁶ For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

¹ My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you, ² if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding, ³ if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, ⁴ if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure, ⁵ then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. ⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

¹⁰ The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.

¹⁴ To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

³ It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel.

¹⁹ He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips.

²¹ My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.

¹⁷ Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

⁸ Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls. ⁹ My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

¹⁷ I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation.

³ by asking the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts, as well as the prophets, “Should I weep and fast in the fifth month, as I have done these many years?”

¹¹ He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

⁴⁴ The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

³⁵ Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.

¹¹ He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,

¹ Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—

¹⁷ “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

¹⁵ Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

¹⁹ These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit.

¹⁵ Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying, “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open, ¹⁶ the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:

¹ Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. ² But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.

⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

²² “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?

²³ A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself, but a foolish heart proclaims its folly.

¹⁶ Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

¹⁶ Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

³ Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

³⁴ Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

¹ Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

¹² It is the same with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, strive to excel in gifts that build up the church.

¹⁵ It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

¹⁵ They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. ¹⁶ But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. ¹⁷ These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. ¹⁸ With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

³⁰ Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the disgrace of the mother who bore you?

⁴ Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

⁹ because zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.

²⁰ Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.

³ Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt. ⁴ We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.

² When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.

¹⁰ Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease.

¹⁶ When the wicked thrive, rebellion increases; but the righteous will see their downfall.

³⁹ And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” ⁴¹ In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him.

⁴ Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you.

¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

² I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning one from the snares of death.

²² Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor, but the discipline of fools is folly.

⁵ The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.

³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

¹⁴ But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

³⁸ Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” ³⁹ He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

¹⁵ You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

¹⁶ At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident. ¹⁷ Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”

¹⁹ Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

⁹ In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people. ¹⁰ But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” ¹¹ So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people. ¹³ And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. ¹⁴ Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

⁷ Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him? ⁸ Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense?

¹⁹ who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.

² “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.

²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.

²¹ To show partiality is not good, yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²³ who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.

¹⁴ So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.

³ Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.

¹⁶ They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.

¹⁶ A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

¹⁰ Arrogance leads only to strife, but wisdom is with the well-advised.

³ The proud speech of a fool brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.

¹⁶ A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.

²⁷ A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. ²⁸ A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.

¹⁹ A man of great anger must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do so again.

²⁹ Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.

²⁴ Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man, ²⁵ or you may learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

²⁴ Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

³ A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

⁹ If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution.

³⁵ As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”

²⁴ Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food. ²⁵ Then all the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. ²⁷ Jonathan, however, had not heard that his father had charged the people with the oath. So he reached out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened. ²⁸ Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ That is why the people are faint.” ²⁹ “My father has brought trouble to the land,” Jonathan replied. “Just look at how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much better it would have been if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been much greater?” ³¹ That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, the people were very faint. ³² So they rushed greedily to the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate meat with the blood still in it. ³³ Then someone reported to Saul: “Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.” “You have broken faith,” said Saul. “Roll a large stone over here at once.” ³⁴ Then he said, “Go among the troops and tell them, ‘Each man must bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter them in this place, and then eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.’” So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had built an altar to the LORD. ³⁶ And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until dawn, leaving no man alive!” “Do what seems good to you,” the troops replied. But the priest said, “We must consult God here.” ³⁷ So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But God did not answer him that day. ³⁸ Therefore Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the troops, and let us investigate how this sin has occurred today. ³⁹ As surely as the LORD who saves Israel lives, even if it is my son Jonathan, he must die!” But not one of the troops said a word. ⁴⁰ Then Saul said to all Israel, “You stand on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other side.” “Do what seems good to you,” the troops replied. ⁴¹ So Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim; but if the fault is with the men of Israel, respond with Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the people were cleared of the charge. ⁴² Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected. ⁴³ “Tell me what you have done,” Saul commanded him. So Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. And now I must die?” ⁴⁴ And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!” ⁴⁵ But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. ⁴⁶ Then Saul gave up his pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own land.

⁸ They will be made to stumble, their own tongues turned against them. All who see will shake their heads.

⁹ May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.

² if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

⁸ A wise heart will receive commandments, but foolish lips will come to ruin.

¹⁴ The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites destruction.

¹³ An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble.

³ He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

¹¹ If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. ¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him. ¹³ The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness. ¹⁴ Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?

²³ And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” ²⁴ Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.” ²⁵ At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” ²⁶ The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison. ²⁸ The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.

¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.” ¹⁶ But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.” ¹⁹ The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?” ²⁰ He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him. ²¹ Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.” ²² So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

¹⁶ You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.

² Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.

³ who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows, ⁴ ambushing the innocent in seclusion, shooting suddenly, without fear.

¹⁸ Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

²⁸ A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.

²⁰ Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases. ²¹ Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. ²² The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.

²⁹ I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.

⁴ Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

²⁰ Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat. ²¹ For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.

³⁰ I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. ³¹ Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. ³² I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: ³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, ³⁴ and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

²⁴ He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.

²⁶ ‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.

¹³ After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.

¹ Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. ² So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

¹¹ Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

¹² Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.

¹¹ Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me.

²⁸ Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.” ²⁹ And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.

¹³ Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?” ¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” ¹⁵ God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.

⁵ And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD. ⁶ Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

⁶ And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

³ My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.

⁴⁵ Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me. ⁴⁶ Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds. ⁴⁷ The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted—

⁵¹ Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”

² The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

¹ Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?

³ When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. ⁴ In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

³ For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy. ⁴ Let me dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

² I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

¹⁴ “Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.

² He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

⁶ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁴ Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.

¹⁵ For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.

⁶ In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.

¹⁹ GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.

²³ “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.

³¹ For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies concede.

²⁴ If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security, ²⁵ if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,

⁶ They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. ⁷ No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God. ⁸ For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice, ⁹ that he should live on forever and not see decay.

⁵ Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah ⁶ The righteous will see and fear; they will mock the evildoer, saying, ⁷ “Look at the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth and strengthened himself by destruction.”

¹⁰ Place no trust in extortion, or false hope in stolen goods. If your riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. ¹¹ God has spoken once; I have heard this twice: that power belongs to God,

¹⁵ The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

⁴ Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

¹² For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

¹⁹ Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ ²¹ This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

⁶ Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.” ⁷ After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has. ⁸ So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.” ⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s request. ¹⁰ After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions. ¹¹ All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. ¹² So the LORD blessed Job’s latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. ¹³ And he also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴ He named his first daughter Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch. ¹⁵ No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers. ¹⁶ After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. ¹⁷ And so Job died, old and full of years.

³³ The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

²³ A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.

⁵ Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” ⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.” ⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!” ⁹ And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ ¹⁰ Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” ¹¹ Then I asked: “How long, O Lord?” And He replied: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left unoccupied and the land is desolate and ravaged, ¹² until the LORD has driven men far away and the land is utterly forsaken. ¹³ And though a tenth remains in the land, it will be burned again. As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled, so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.”

⁴⁹ Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.

² “Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.’ Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god.

⁹ Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’ in the presence of those who slay you? You will be only a man, not a god, in the hands of those who wound you.

²³ Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways. ²⁴ Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

²⁰ While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—

²³ At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly precious. So consider the message and understand the vision:

¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

²¹ On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. ²² And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!” ²³ Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

⁵ Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

¹⁴ then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,

⁴ So the king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I humbly bow before you,” said Ziba. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king!”

²⁴ Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely. ²⁵ And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?” ²⁶ “My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me, ²⁷ and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes. ²⁸ For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?” ²⁹ The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.” ³⁰ And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!”

¹⁰ So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ “Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.” ¹² On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring. ¹³ And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. ¹⁴ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day. ¹⁵ The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.

⁵ “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. ⁶ For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” ⁷ So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews. ⁸ Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.” ⁹ At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush—writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. ¹⁰ Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares. ¹¹ By these letters the king permitted the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province hostile to them, including women and children, and to plunder their possessions. ¹² The single day appointed throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. ¹³ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. ¹⁴ The couriers rode out in haste on their royal horses, pressed on by the command of the king. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa. ¹⁵ Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. ¹⁶ For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor. ¹⁷ In every province and every city, wherever the king’s edict and decree reached, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

¹⁶ I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.

²⁵ It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly, only later to reconsider his vows.

⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

¹⁴ As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him.

⁵¹ “Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?”

²⁰ Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, ²¹ saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ⁸ And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes. ⁹ Then Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰ “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

⁴ For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit drinks in their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

¹⁴ then You frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, ¹⁵ so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body.

¹⁵ If I am guilty, woe to me! And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and aware of my affliction. ¹⁶ Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me. ¹⁷ You produce new witnesses against me and multiply Your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in wave after wave.

⁹ “What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness? ¹⁰ Hear me, O LORD, and have mercy; O LORD, be my helper.”

³ When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. ⁴ For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah

² For Your arrows have pierced me deeply, and Your hand has pressed down on me. ³ There is no soundness in my body because of Your anger; there is no rest in my bones because of my sin. ⁴ For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear.

¹⁰ Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” ¹¹ Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

³ at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger.

⁵ Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.

² In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted. ³ I remembered You, O God, and I groaned; I mused and my spirit grew faint. Selah

¹⁴ Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me? ¹⁵ From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair. ¹⁶ Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.

²² For I am poor and needy; my heart is wounded within me.

³ He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

¹³ A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit.

²² A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

³³ He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed. ³⁴ Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”

³ Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

¹² And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.

⁷ So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,

⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials

⁹ Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love Your law! All day long it is my meditation. ⁹⁸ Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me. ⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. ¹⁰⁰ I discern more than the elders, for I obey Your precepts. ¹⁰¹ I have kept my feet from every evil path, that I may keep Your word. ¹⁰² I have not departed from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me. ¹⁰³ How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth! ¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.

⁵ let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.

⁷ Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.

⁹ Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.

¹⁴ A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

²³ Invest in truth and never sell it—in wisdom and instruction and understanding.

⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprang up and produced a crop—a hundredfold.” As Jesus said this, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” ⁹ Then His disciples asked Him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

³⁹ She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message.

¹⁵ From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

²⁰ You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”

¹⁰ But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.

¹¹ Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

²⁷ Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.

⁸ A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁶ Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.

¹⁴ A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.

¹ When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine. ² “Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.” ³ “Where is your master’s grandson?” asked the king. And Ziba answered, “Indeed, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my grandfather.’”

²⁴ Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely. ²⁵ And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?” ²⁶ “My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me, ²⁷ and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes.

¹³ He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.

⁵ We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.

¹² Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city. ¹³ Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me.

² Their inheritance was assigned by lot for the nine and a half tribes, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

²¹ Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him. ²² So again they inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD replied, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” ²³ So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others. ²⁴ Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” ²⁵ Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home. ²⁶ Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him. ²⁷ But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.

⁴² Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected.

⁶³ The Merarites, according to their families, were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

³¹ As their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, they also cast lots in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family heads and their younger brothers alike.

¹ Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine were to dwell in their own towns.

³³ The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

⁵ but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. ⁶ “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.” ⁸ Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

⁴¹ Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” ⁴² When the words of her older son Esau were relayed to Rebekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. ⁴³ So now, my son, obey my voice and flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. ⁴⁴ Stay with him for a while, until your brother’s fury subsides— ⁴⁵ until your brother’s rage against you wanes and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

⁶ When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you—he and four hundred men with him.” ⁷ In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels. ⁸ He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape.” ⁹ Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’ ¹⁰ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps. ¹¹ Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me.

³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors. ⁴ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. ⁵ Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

¹¹ And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.

¹⁸ Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. ¹⁹ “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. ²⁰ “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” ²¹ When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. ²² “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father. ²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing— ²⁴ and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it. ²⁵ And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt. ²⁶ Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷ Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.

²² And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for disgracing his sister Tamar.

²⁸ Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!”

²³ Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life. ²⁴ And now, as surely as the LORD lives—the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised—surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!” ²⁵ So King Solomon sent the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,

¹⁷ Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

¹⁹ a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

³² He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.

³⁹ Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,

¹³ An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble. ¹⁴ By fruitful speech a man is filled with good things, and the work of his hands returns to him.

² From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence.

¹⁸ for it is pleasing when you keep them within you and they are constantly on your lips.

²¹ to show you true and reliable words, that you may soundly answer those who sent you?

¹¹ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. ¹² Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

¹⁹ When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. ²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth. ²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

³¹ The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

² From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence. ³ He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

⁴ The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. ⁵ Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice. ⁶ A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. ⁷ A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

¹⁹ bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”

³⁵ The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. ³⁶ But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

¹⁴ How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? ¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

¹⁶ To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.

²⁹ Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

¹⁰ For many are rebellious and full of empty talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹ who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.

⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. ⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸ but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.

¹⁸ With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.

¹⁸ The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”

⁶⁷ And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death.

²⁰ So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her. ²¹ Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”

²⁸ And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.

⁴ Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.

¹⁵ Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. ¹⁶ Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? ¹⁷ Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. ¹⁸ May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth: ¹⁹ A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever. ²⁰ Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger? ²¹ For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths. ²² The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him. ²³ He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.

⁴ A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones.

¹⁴ Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

¹⁰ A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. ¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. ¹² She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life. ¹³ She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. ¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. ¹⁵ She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants. ¹⁶ She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. ¹⁷ She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong. ¹⁸ She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night. ¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. ²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. ²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet. ²² She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple. ²³ Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land. ²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants. ²⁵ Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come. ²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. ²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. ²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well: ²⁹ “Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!” ³⁰ Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. ³¹ Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.

⁹ Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.

¹² Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife—for a wife he tended sheep.

² But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

⁷ And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”

³⁰ “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

² But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

⁷ She has said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the harvesters.’ So she came out and has continued from morning until now, except that she rested a short time in the shelter.”

³⁶ And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”

¹⁰ But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.

¹⁷ Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”

¹ Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!” ² “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

² Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁹ The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position. ¹⁰ But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. ¹¹ For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

³ If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”

⁶ But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

⁴ Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you. ⁵ He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”

²⁶ When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.” ²⁷ He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; ²⁸ to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa; ²⁹ to those in Racal and in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; ³⁰ to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach; ³¹ and to those in Hebron and in all the places where David and his men had roamed.

²⁶ I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were delightful to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.

¹ Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?” ² And there was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king inquired, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied. ³ So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.” ⁴ “Where is he?” replied the king. And Ziba said, “Indeed, he is in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” ⁵ So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. ⁶ And when Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he fell facedown in reverence. Then David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied. ⁷ “Do not be afraid,” said David, “for surely I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” ⁸ Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?” ⁹ Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. ¹⁰ You and your sons and servants are to work the ground for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹ And Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all that my lord the king has commanded.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s own sons. ¹² And Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. ¹³ So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame in both feet.

¹⁷ “Is this the loyalty you show your friend?” Absalom replied. “Why did you not go with your friend?”

²⁷ When David came to Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim. ²⁸ They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, ²⁹ honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”

³⁰ And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!” ³¹ Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there. ³² Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim. ³³ The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.” ³⁴ But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? ³⁵ I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? ³⁶ Your servant could go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward? ³⁷ Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.” ³⁸ The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good in your sight, and I will do for you whatever you desire of me.” ³⁹ So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned home.

⁷ Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.

³⁸ All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king. ³⁹ They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them. ⁴⁰ And their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant supplies of flour, fig cakes and raisin cakes, wine and oil, oxen and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

⁹ Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is counsel to the soul.

⁴⁹ Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. ⁵⁰ “Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him.

¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.