Proverbs 23 Cross References - EJ2000

¹ ¶ When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee; ² and put a knife to thy throat if thou art a man given to appetite. ³ Do not be desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food. ⁴ ¶ Do not labour to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom. ⁵ Wilt thou set thine eyes upon riches which are not? For they shall certainly make themselves wings; they shall fly away as an eagle toward heaven. ⁶ ¶ Do not eat the bread of anyone who has an evil eye, neither desire his dainty foods; ⁷ for as he thinks in his soul, so is he; Eat and drink, he shall say unto thee, but his heart is not with thee. ⁸ Didst thou eat thy part? Thou shalt vomit it up and lose thy sweet words. ⁹ ¶ Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the prudence of thy words. ¹⁰ ¶ Do not remove the old landmark, and do not enter into the inheritance of the fatherless: ¹¹ For their redeemer is mighty; he shall judge their cause against thee. ¹² ¶ Apply thine heart unto chastening and thine ears to the words of wisdom. ¹³ Do not withhold correction from the child; for if thou shall beat him with the rod, he shall not die. ¹⁴ Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. ¹⁵ My son, if thy heart is wise, my heart shall also rejoice; ¹⁶ my kidneys shall also rejoice when thy lips speak right things. ¹⁷ ¶ Let not thy heart envy sinners, but persevere in the fear of the LORD all day long. ¹⁸ For surely there is an end, and thy hope shall not be cut off. ¹⁹ ¶ Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and straighten thy heart in the way. ²⁰ Do not be among those who are drunk with wine; nor among gluttonous eaters of food; ²¹ for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall cause them to wear rags. ²² Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. ²³ Buy the truth and sell it not, also wisdom and instruction and understanding. ²⁴ The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begets a wise child shall have joy with him. ²⁵ Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice. ²⁶ My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. ²⁷ For a whore is a deep ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit. ²⁸ She also lies in wait as for a prey and increases the transgressors among men. ²⁹ ¶ For who shall be the woe? for who shall be the woe? for who contention? for who quarrels? for who the wounds without cause? who shall have redness of eyes? ³⁰ For those that tarry long at the wine; those that go to seek mixed wine. ³¹ Do not look upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its colour in the cup, it goes down smoothly. ³² At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. ³³ Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. ³⁴ Yea, thou shalt be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea or as he that sleeps at the rudder. ³⁵ They have stricken me, thou shalt say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not; when I shall awake, I will seek it yet again.

³² And they served for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, who ate with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians may not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. ³³ And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one at another. ³⁴ And he took and sent portions unto them from before him; but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were drunk with him.

¹² These are spots in your banquets of charity, feeding themselves without any fear whatsoever: clouds without water, carried to and fro of the winds; trees withered as in fall, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

⁸ Therefore if thy hand or thy foot cause thee to fall, cut them off and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire. ⁹ And if thine eye causes thee to fall, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.

²⁷ but I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection, lest preaching to others, I myself should become reprobate.

¹⁹ whose end shall be perdition, whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things).

⁴ Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to do works with ungodliness with the men that work iniquity, and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁶ ¶ Do not eat the bread of anyone who has an evil eye, neither desire his dainty foods;

⁸ ¶ And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s food, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

³⁴ And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with excess and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

²² that ye put off everything concerning the old way of life, that is, the old man who corrupts himself according to deceitful desires,

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁷ ¶ Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.

²⁷ ¶ He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house, but he that hates gifts shall live.

¹² ¶ Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

²⁰ ¶ The man of truth shall abound with blessings, but he that makes haste to be rich shall not be absolved.

²¹ Woe unto those that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!

¹⁹ ¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal;

²⁷ Labour not for the food which perishes, but for the food which abides unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you, for him has God the Father sealed.

²⁵ For I would not, brethren, that ye ignore this mystery, that ye not be arrogant regarding yourselves: that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles are come in.

¹⁶ Be unanimous among yourselves, not high minded, but accommodating the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

⁸ So that, sustenance and covering, let us be content with this. ⁹ For those that desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

⁵ Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have; for he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

³⁶ And Jacob, their father, said unto them, Ye have bereaved me of my sons: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; all these things are upon me.

¹⁴ and a messenger came unto Job and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them; ¹⁵ and the Sabeans {Heb. those of Sheba} fell upon them and took them away; they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell thee. ¹⁶ While he was yet speaking, another came who said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell thee. ¹⁷ While he was yet speaking, another came and said, The Chaldeans made three bands and fell upon the camels and have carried them away and have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

⁶ Surely man walks in darkness; surely they are disquieted in vain; they heap up riches not knowing who shall gather them.

³⁶ Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness. ³⁷ ¶ Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity, and cause me to live in thy way.

²⁴ For riches are not for ever, and does the crown endure to every generation?

² Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

¹³ There is another sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt; ¹⁴ which are lost by evil pursuits and to the sons which he has begotten; there is nothing left in his hand.

⁸ ¶ Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

² Why do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

¹⁷ But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression and for violence, to do it.

²⁹ But this I say, brothers, the time is short; for the rest, let those that have wives be as though they had none; ³⁰ and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not; ³¹ and those that use this world, as not using it as their own, for the fashion of this world passes away.

¹⁷ Charge those that are rich in this world, that they not be highminded, not placing their hope in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy;

¹ ¶ Come now, Oh ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. ² Your riches are rotten, and your garments are motheaten.

¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

⁹ Keep thyself that there not be a thought of Belial in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother to give him nothing; for he shall cry unto the LORD against thee, and it shall be a sin unto thee.

⁵⁶ The tender and delicate woman among you who would not venture to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom and toward her son and toward her daughter

⁹ ¶ He that has a merciful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the destitute.

³ Do not be desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.

²² ¶ He that hastens to be rich has an evil eye and does not consider that poverty shall come upon him.

⁸ ¶ And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s food, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. ⁹ (And God brought Daniel into grace and mercy with the prince of the eunuchs.) ¹⁰ And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for when he shall see your faces more downcast than the other young men who are like unto you, then ye shall condemn my head before the king.

¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am good?

²² the thefts, the covetousness, the wickedness, the deceit, the lasciviousness, the evil eye, the slander, the pride, the unwiseness:

¹⁵ And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not yet told me what gives thee thy great strength.

²⁶ Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee? ²⁷ But because Absalom pressed him, he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. ²⁸ Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant.

² Each one speaks vanity with his neighbour: they speak with flattering lips and with a double heart.

²¹ The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

²² ¶ Contentment is unto men to show mercy, but it is better to do it unto the poor than to the liar.

²⁷ And the heart of both these kings shall be to do evil, and at the same table they shall speak lies; but it shall not prosper, for the time appointed is not yet come.

³ And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemes. ⁴ And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Why think ye evil in your hearts?

³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him, for she is a sinner.

³⁷ ¶ And as he spoke, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him, and he went in and sat down to food. ³⁸ And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. ³⁹ And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. ⁴⁰ Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? ⁴¹ But rather give alms {lit. do acts of mercy} of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. ⁴² But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and pass over the judgment and the charity of God; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. ⁴³ Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the first seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets. ⁴⁴ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which are not seen, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. ⁴⁵ Then one of the lawyers answered and said unto him, Master, saying these things, thou dost reproach us also. ⁴⁶ And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye burden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. ⁴⁷ Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. ⁴⁸ Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. ⁴⁹ Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and others they shall persecute: ⁵⁰ that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the temple; verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. ⁵² Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and those that were entering in, ye hindered. ⁵³ And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently and to provoke him to speak of many things, ⁵⁴ laying wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him.

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

⁷ He that chastens a scorner brings shame unto himself, and he that chastens a wicked man brings himself a blot. ⁸ Chasten not a scorner lest he hate thee; chasten a wise man, and he will love thee.

⁴ ¶ Never answer a fool according to his folly lest thou also be like unto him. ⁵ Answer the fool showing him his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit.

²¹ But they held their peace and did not answer him a word, for the king had commanded thus, saying, Answer him not.

⁶ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you.

¹⁴ And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him.

⁵² Then the Jews said unto him, Now we know that thou hast a demon. Abraham died and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keeps my word, he shall not taste death forever?

³⁰ The man answered and said unto them, Indeed this is a marvellous thing that ye do not know where he is from, and yet he has opened my eyes. ³¹ Now we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone should fear God and do his will, him he will hear. ³² Since the world began it has not been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of one that was born blind. ³³ If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. ³⁴ They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

⁴⁰ And some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said unto him, Are we blind also?

²⁰ And many of them said, He has a demon and is beside himself; why do ye hear him?

⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spoke against that which Paul said, contradicting and blaspheming. ⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas speaking with freedom, said, It was necessary indeed that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

¹⁸ Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? others, He seems to be a setter forth of new gods, because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.

³² ¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

²⁵ And when they did not agree among themselves, they departed, after Paul had spoken this word, Well spoke the Holy Spirit by Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers, ²⁶ saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see and not perceive; ²⁷ for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them. ²⁸ Be it known, therefore, unto you that this saving health of God is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will hear it.

²¹ For in the wisdom of God, since the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe. ²² For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, {Gr. Stauroo – hung on a stake}, unto the Jews a stumblingblock and unto the Gentiles foolishness; ²⁴ but unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

¹⁰ We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. ¹¹ Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are ill clad and are buffeted and have no certain dwellingplace ¹² and labour, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; ¹³ being blasphemed, we intreat; we are made as the filth of this world and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

¹⁴ ¶ Thou shalt not reduce thy neighbour’s border, which those of old time have marked in thine inheritance, which thou shalt possess in the land that the LORD thy God gives thee to inherit.

¹⁷ Cursed is he that reduces his neighbour’s border. And all the people shall say, Amen.

²⁷ Ye also overwhelm the fatherless and dig a pit before your friend.

⁹ Thou hast sent the widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

² Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and feed thereof. ³ They drive away the ass of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

⁹ They pluck the fatherless from the breast and take a pledge of the poor.

²¹ if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, even when I saw that they would all help me in the gate; ²² then let my back fall from my shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from its joint. ²³ For I feared destruction from God, against whose highness I could have no power.

⁶ They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless.

²⁸ ¶ Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

⁵ For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if ye thoroughly do right between a man and his neighbour,

³ Thus hath the LORD said: Execute judgment and righteousness and deliver the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor and do not deceive, neither steal from the stranger nor from the fatherless nor from the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

¹⁰ and do not oppress the widow nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

⁵ And I will come near unto you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and do not fear me, said the LORD of the hosts.

²⁷ The pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep thyself unspotted from this world.

²² Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. ²³ If thou afflict them in any manner, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; ²⁴ and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

¹⁹ Cursed is he that twists the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

²⁵ For I know that my redeemer lives and that he shall rise at the latter day over the dust;

⁵ For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise, saith the LORD; I will set in safety the one whom the wicked one has ensnared.

²³ For the LORD will judge their cause and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

³³ ¶ Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said: The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah were oppressed together; and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go. ³⁴ Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of the hosts is his name: he shall thoroughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

³⁶ Therefore thus hath the LORD said: Behold, I judge thy cause and shall take thy vengeance; and I will dry up her sea and make her flowing waters dry.

² so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to intelligence, ³ yea, if thou criest for understanding and givest thy voice unto intelligence, ⁴ if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures, ⁵ then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. ⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom; out of his mouth comes knowledge and intelligence.

¹ ¶ My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my intelligence; ² that thou may keep council and that thy lips may conserve knowledge.

¹⁷ ¶ Bow down thine ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my wisdom.

¹⁹ ¶ Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and straighten thy heart in the way.

³¹ And they shall come unto thee as the people come, and they shall be before thee, my people, and they shall hear thy words, but they shall not do them; for with their mouth they flatter, but their heart goes after their covetousness.

⁵² And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who is instructed in the kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man, a husband of a house, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.

²¹ So then, leave all uncleanness and remains of malice and receive with meekness the word ingested within you, which is able to cause your souls to be saved. ²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. ²³ For if anyone hears the word and does not put it into practice, this same is like unto the man beholding his natural face in a mirror: ²⁴ For he considered himself and went his way and in one hour forgot what he was like. ²⁵ But whosoever has looked attentively into the perfect law of liberty and has persevered in it, not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, the same shall be blessed in their deed.

²⁴ ¶ He that cuts short chastening hates his son, but he that loves him chastens him early.

¹⁸ ¶ Chasten thy son while there is hope, but do not stir up thy soul to destroy him.

¹⁵ ¶ The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself shall bring his mother to shame.

¹⁷ ¶ Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; he shall give delight unto thy soul.

¹⁵ ¶ Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

⁵ let such a one be delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

³² But being judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

¹⁰ ¶ My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent.

¹ ¶ My son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments within thee

¹ ¶ Hearken, ye sons, unto the chastening of the father, and pay attention that ye might know understanding.

¹ ¶ A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son is sadness unto his mother.

²⁰ ¶ The wise son makes a glad father, but the foolish man despises his mother.

²⁴ The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begets a wise child shall have joy with him. ²⁵ Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.

³ ¶ Whosoever loves wisdom causes his father to rejoice, but he that maintains harlots shall lose his inheritance.

⁴¹ And, I will rejoice with them doing them good, and I will plant them in this land with truth, with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

¹⁷ The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing.

² And, behold, they brought him a paralyzed man, lying on a bed; and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the paralyzed man, Trust, son; thy sins are forgiven thee.

²³ and bring here the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ²⁴ for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.

³² It was necessary that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

¹¹ These things I have spoken unto you that my joy may abide in you and that your joy might be fulfilled.

⁵ Then Jesus said unto them, Children, have ye any food? They answered him, No.

¹⁹ For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? ²⁰ For ye are our glory and joy.

⁸ for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. ⁹ For what thanks can we render to God again for you for all the joy with which we joy for your sakes before our God,

¹ ¶ My little children, I write these things unto you, that ye sin not; and if anyone has sinned, we have an Advocate before the Father, Jesus, the righteous Christ;

⁴ I have rejoiced greatly, for I have found of thy sons that they walk in the truth, as we have received the commandment from the Father.

³ ¶ For I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou dost walk in the truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my sons walk in the truth.

⁶ Hear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good for edification, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

⁴ neither dishonest words nor foolishness nor low jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks.

⁴ that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

² For we all offend in many things. If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to govern the whole body with restraint.

¹ A Psalm of David. ¶ Aleph Do not be angry with the evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. ² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb. ³ Beth Wait in the LORD and do good; live in the land and uphold the truth.

³ For I became angry against the foolish when I saw the peace of the wicked. ⁴ Because there is no restraint that would bring about their death, but their strength is firm. ⁵ They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. ⁶ Therefore they are crowned with pride; they cover themselves with violence as a garment. ⁷ Their eyes stand out with fatness; they easily obtain the desires of their heart.

¹⁰ Resh The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; Schin A good understanding have all those that do his will; Tau His praise endures for ever.

³¹ Envy thou not the oppressor and choose none of his ways.

¹⁶ ¶ Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.

¹ ¶ Do not be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.

¹⁴ ¶ Blessed is the man that fears God always, but he that hardens his heart shall fall into evil.

⁷ Because dreams abound, and vanities and the words are many, but fear thou God.

¹³ ¶ The conclusion of the entire sermon is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole happiness of man. ¹⁴ For God shall bring every work to judgment with every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.

³¹ Then the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} had rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and with the comfort of the Holy Spirit they were multiplied.

¹ ¶ Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

¹⁷ And if ye invoke as Father, he who without respect of persons judges according to the work of each one, converse in fear the entire time of your sojourning here,

¹⁸ For the humble shall not always be forgotten: the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.

³⁷ Schin Mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of each one of them is peace.

¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: if thou shalt find it, and in the end thy hope shall not be cut off.

²⁰ for the evil man shall not come to a good end; the fire of the wicked shall be put out.

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think concerning you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you the end that you wait for.

²⁵ But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime didst receive thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted here, and thou art tormented.

²¹ What fruit had ye then in those things of which ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. ²² But now freed from sin and made slaves to God, ye have as your fruit sanctification and as the end, everlasting life.

²⁰ according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.

³⁵ Do not lose, therefore, this your confidence, which has great recompense of reward;

¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my words, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied. ¹¹ I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have caused thee to walk in right paths. ¹² When thou goest in these paths, thy steps shall not be hindered; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. ¹³ Take fast hold of chastening; do not let go; keep this; for it is thy life. ¹⁴ ¶ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. ¹⁵ Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. ¹⁶ For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause someone to fall. ¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. ¹⁸ But the path of the just is as the light of the morning star, that shines more and more until the day is perfect. ¹⁹ The way of the wicked is as darkness; they do not know in what they stumble. ²⁰ ¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my words. ²¹ Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. ²² For they are life unto those that find them and medicine to all their flesh. ²³ Above all else, guard thy heart; for out of it flows the issues of life.

⁶ ¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise,

⁶ Forsake that which is foolish and live and go in the way of understanding.

¹² ¶ Apply thine heart unto chastening and thine ears to the words of wisdom.

²⁶ My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

¹ ¶ Wine makes a mocker, and beer a reveler, and whoever errs concerning them shall never be wise.

²⁹ ¶ For who shall be the woe? for who shall be the woe? for who contention? for who quarrels? for who the wounds without cause? who shall have redness of eyes? ³⁰ For those that tarry long at the wine; those that go to seek mixed wine. ³¹ Do not look upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its colour in the cup, it goes down smoothly. ³² At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. ³³ Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. ³⁴ Yea, thou shalt be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea or as he that sleeps at the rudder. ³⁵ They have stricken me, thou shalt say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not; when I shall awake, I will seek it yet again.

⁷ ¶ Whosoever keeps the law is a wise son, but he that is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁶ Give beer unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that have heavy hearts. ⁷ They drink and forget their need and remember their misery no more.

¹¹ Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may continue their drunkenness; that continue until night until wine inflames them!

²² Woe unto those that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink;

¹³ And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine while they say, let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall die.

⁴⁹ and shall begin to smite his fellowslaves and even to eat and drink with the drunken,

¹³ And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country and there wasted his estate with riotous living.

¹⁹ ¶ There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day;

¹³ Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, in which there is excess, but be filled with the Spirit,

³ For it should suffice us that during the time past of our life we had done the will of the Gentiles, when we conversed in lasciviousness, lusts, drunkenness, gluttony, orgies, and abominable idolatries. ⁴ ¶ And it seems strange to those that speak evil of you, that ye do not run with them to the same unchecked dissolution;

²⁰ and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not hear our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.

⁹ How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? ¹⁰ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ¹¹ So shall thy poverty come as one that travels and thy want as an armed man.

¹⁵ ¶ Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and the negligent soul shall suffer hunger.

¹⁷ ¶ He that loves pleasure shall be a poor man; he that loves wine and oil shall not be rich.

³⁰ ¶ I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding, ³¹ and, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered its face, and its stone wall was broken down. ³² Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it and received chastening. ³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ³⁴ So shall thy poverty come as one that travels and thy want as an armed man.

¹ ¶ Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim and to the open flower of the beauty of their glory which is upon the head of the fertile valley of those that are overcome with wine! ² Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one who as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the earth with the hand. ³ The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:

⁵ Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

¹¹ But now I have written unto you not to associate with anyone calling himself a brother if he is a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner; with such a one do not even eat.

¹⁰ nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.

²¹ envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; which I denounce, as I have also told you in time past that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

³ Ye shall fear, every man his mother and his father and keep my sabbaths. I AM your God.

¹⁸ ¶ When anyone has a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them, ¹⁹ then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him and bring him out unto the elders of his city and unto the gate of his place; ²⁰ and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not hear our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard. ²¹ Then all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, and he shall die; so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear and fear.

¹⁶ Cursed is he that dishonours his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

⁸ My son, hearken unto the chastening of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

²⁰ ¶ My son, keep thy father’s commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother:

¹¹ There is a generation that curses their father, and does not bless their mother.

¹⁷ The eye that mocks at his father, and despises the teaching of his mother, the ravens shall pluck it out of the river, and the young eagles shall eat it.

⁴ For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother, and, He that curses father or mother, let him die without recourse. ⁵ But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, Whatever I might have helped thee with is already my offering unto God, ⁶ and now has no need to honour his father or his mother with succour. Thus ye have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

¹⁰ For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother, and, Whosoever curses father or mother shall most definitely die.

²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he said unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

¹ ¶ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² Honour thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),

¹² But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? ¹³ Man never knew its price; neither is it found in the land of the living. ¹⁴ ¶ The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me. ¹⁵ It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price. ¹⁶ It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx or the sapphire. ¹⁷ Gold cannot equal it, nor can diamond; neither shall it be exchanged for vessels of fine gold. ¹⁸ No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls; for wisdom is better than precious stones. ¹⁹ The emerald of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

⁷² ¶ The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

¹²⁷ ¶ Therefore I have loved thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold.

² so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to intelligence, ³ yea, if thou criest for understanding and givest thy voice unto intelligence, ⁴ if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures,

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. ⁶ Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee. ⁷ Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

¹⁶ ¶ How much better is it to acquire wisdom than gold! and to acquire understanding is worth more than silver!

¹⁶ ¶ Of what good is the price to buy wisdom in the hand of the fool, seeing he has no heart to understand?

¹⁵ ¶ The heart of the man of understanding acquires wisdom, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

¹ ¶ Ho, every one that thirsts, come ye to the waters, and he that has no money; come ye, buy, and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

⁴⁴ ¶ Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like unto treasure hid in the field, which when found, a man hides it and, for the joy thereof, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

⁴⁶ who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

²⁶ For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

²³ except that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying that prisons and tribulations await me.

⁷ But those things which were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ. ⁸ And doubtless I even count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ

²⁶ esteeming the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

¹⁸ I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined in the fire, that thou may be made rich; and clothed in white raiment, so that the shame of thy nakedness not be uncovered; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou may see.

¹¹ And they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

⁴⁸ And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne today, mine eyes even seeing it.

¹ ¶ Now the days of David drew near that he should die; and he charged Solomon, his son, saying, ² I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore and show thyself a man. ³ Keep the charge of the LORD thy God, walking in his ways, keeping his statutes and his commandments and his rights and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou may have understanding in all that thou doest and in everything that thou dost undertake,

⁹ Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for thou art a wise man and knowest what thou should do with him, but thou shalt bring his hoar head down to Sheol with blood.

¹⁵ My son, if thy heart is wise, my heart shall also rejoice; ¹⁶ my kidneys shall also rejoice when thy lips speak right things.

¹⁹ And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool, he who shall have rule over all my labour in which I have laboured and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun? This is also vanity.

⁹ yet for the sake of charity I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul the aged and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

²⁰ Therefore, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord, that thou might refresh my heart in the Lord.

⁹ And Jabez was more honoured than his brethren, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I gave birth to him with sorrow. ¹⁰ And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou would bless me indeed and enlarge my border and that thy hand might be with me and that thou would deliver me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

²⁵ ¶ The foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bore him.

³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus. ³² He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; ³³ and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

⁴⁰ and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth. ⁴¹ And it came to pass that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; ⁴² and she spoke out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. ⁴³ And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For, behold, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. ⁴⁶ Then Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saving Health,

⁵⁸ And her neighbours and her relatives heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her, and they rejoiced with her.

²⁷ ¶ And it came to pass as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the crowd lifted up her voice and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the breasts which thou hast sucked. ²⁸ But he said, Rather, blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it.

⁵ And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might.

⁴³ Who is wise and will observe these things and shall understand the mercies of the LORD?

² Blessed are those that keep his testimonies and that seek him with their whole heart.

⁹ ¶ BETH. With what shall a young man cleanse his way? when he shall keep thy word. ¹⁰ ¶ With my whole heart I have sought thee; O let me not err from thy commandments. ¹¹ ¶ Thy spoken word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

¹ ¶ My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments:

⁴ He taught me and said unto me, Sustain thine heart with my words; keep my commandments, and live.

²³ Above all else, guard thy heart; for out of it flows the issues of life.

²⁵ Let thine eyes look upon that which is right, and let thine eyelids straighten thy path before thee. ²⁶ Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. ²⁷ Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.

⁹ Who is wise that he might understand this? and prudent that he might know this? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the rebellious shall fall therein.

³⁷ He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And he that does not take his cross {Gr. Stauros – stake} and follow after me is not worthy of me.

²⁶ If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, and even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

¹⁴ For the charity of the Christ constrains us because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all are dead: ¹⁵ And that he died for all that those who live should not live from now on unto themselves, but unto him who died and rose again for them.

⁵ And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and then unto us by the will of God.

¹⁷ that the Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in charity,

¹⁹ ¶ We have also the most sure word of the prophets, unto which ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts,

¹⁴ ¶ The mouth of strange women is a deep pit; he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

¹ ¶ And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to fornicate with the daughters of Moab,

⁴ ¶ And it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. ⁵ And the cardinals of the Philistines came up unto her and said unto her, Entice him and see what gives him his great strength and by what means we may overcome him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and each one of us will give thee eleven hundred pieces of silver. ⁶ And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, what gives thee thy great strength and how might thou be bound to afflict thee. ⁷ And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green wicker strands that were never dried, then I shall become weak and be as any other man. ⁸ Then the cardinals of the Philistines brought up to her seven green wicker strands which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. ⁹ Now there were men lying in wait in a chamber of her house. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he broke the wicker strands as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. ¹⁰ Then Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me and told me lies; now tell me, I pray thee, how thou might be bound. ¹¹ And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then I shall become weak and be as any other man. ¹² Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him with them and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And there were men lying in wait abiding in a chamber. But he broke them from off his arms like a thread. ¹³ And Delilah said unto Samson, Until now thou hast mocked me, and told me lies. Tell me, therefore, now, how thou might be bound. Then he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the cloth. ¹⁴ And she fastened it with the stake and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the stake of the loom and with the cloth. ¹⁵ And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not yet told me what gives thee thy great strength. ¹⁶ And it came to pass that, pressing and grinding him daily with her words, his soul was reduced unto mortal anguish. ¹⁷ Therefore, he told her all his heart and said unto her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite of God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man. ¹⁸ ¶ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the cardinals of the Philistines, saying, Come up this time, for he has showed me all his heart. Then the cardinals of the Philistines came up unto her and brought the money in their hand. ¹⁹ And she caused him to sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. ²⁰ And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep and said, This time I will go out like before and escape; not knowing that the LORD had departed from him. ²¹ But the Philistines took hold of him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of iron that he should grind in the prison house. ²² ¶ And the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

¹⁶ to deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger who flatters with her words, ¹⁷ who forsakes the prince of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. ¹⁸ Therefore her house inclines unto death, and her paths unto the dead. ¹⁹ None that go unto her return again, neither do they take hold of the paths of life.

¹² Now without, now in the streets, she lies in wait at every corner.)

²² He went after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, ²³ until the arrow pierces through his liver. He is as a bird struggling in the snare and not knowing that it is against his own life. ²⁴ ¶ Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye sons, and attend to the words of my mouth. ²⁵ Let not thine heart decline to her ways; do not go astray in her paths. ²⁶ For she has caused many to fall down dead; yea, all the strong men have been slain by her. ²⁷ Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

²⁶ and I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are bonds; whosoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be held prisoner in her.

² Lift up thine eyes unto the high places and see if there is anywhere thou hast not been ravished. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

¹¹ Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

⁸ Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed and fell dead: in one day, twenty-three thousand.

¹ ¶ And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven vials and talked with me, saying unto me, Come here; I will show unto thee the condemnation of the great whore that sits upon many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

¹² His eyes red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

³⁶ ¶ And Abigail came to Nabal, and, behold, he held a banquet in his house like the banquet of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken; therefore, she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. ³⁷ But it came to pass in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

²⁸ Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant.

¹⁶ And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings that helped him. ¹⁷ And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first. And Benhadad had sent out men who warned him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. ¹⁸ Then he said, If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive. ¹⁹ So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army followed after them. ²⁰ And each one smote the man that came against him; and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them. And Benhadad, the king of Syria, escaped on a horse with some of the horsemen. ²¹ And the king of Israel went out and smote the horsemen and the chariots and smote the Syrians with a great slaughter. ²² ¶ And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and consider, and see what thou must do, for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.

²¹ for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall cause them to wear rags.

⁷ But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. ⁸ For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

¹⁰ For while they are entwined together as thorns, and while the drunkards shall be drinking, they shall be devoured as stubble full of dryness.

⁴⁹ and shall begin to smite his fellowslaves and even to eat and drink with the drunken, ⁵⁰ the lord of that slave shall come in a day when he does not look for him and in an hour that he is not aware of

⁴⁵ But and if that slave shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming, and shall begin to beat the menslaves and maids and to eat and drink and to be drunken, ⁴⁶ the lord of that slave will come in a day when he does not look for him and at an hour when he is not aware and will cut him off and will appoint him his portion with the unfaithful.

²¹ and he drank of the wine and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

⁸ For the cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he pours out of the same; yea, the dregs thereof, shall wring out and swallow up all the wicked of the earth.

² She has killed her sacrifice; she has mingled her wine; and she has furnished her table.

⁶ that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

² And it came to pass one evening, that David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

¹ ¶ Therefore, Job, hear now my reasons, and hearken to all my words.

³⁷ ¶ Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity, and cause me to live in thy way.

²⁵ Lust not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyes.

²⁸ but I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹ Therefore if thy right eye should bring thee occasion to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if thy right hand should bring thee occasion to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

⁴⁷ And if thine eye causes thee to fall, pluck it out; it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hell,

⁵ And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from among them. ⁶ And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

¹² For each one cast down his rod, and they became dragons; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

¹⁶ He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper’s tongue shall slay him.

¹¹ and thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed

⁸ He that digs a pit shall fall into it, and whosoever breaks a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

³ The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:

⁵ They hatch cockatrice’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; whosoever shall eat of their eggs shall die, and if they should squeeze them, a viper shall come out.

³¹ The prophets prophesied falsely, and the priests bore rule by their hands; and my people love to have it so. What will ye do in the end thereof?

¹⁷ For, behold, I send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, said the LORD.

¹⁹ As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him.

³ and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out of there; and though they hide from my sight in the bottom of the sea, from there will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

²⁵ But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime didst receive thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted here, and thou art tormented. ²⁶ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass from there to us.

²¹ What fruit had ye then in those things of which ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

³² Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him that we may preserve the generation of our father. ³³ And they made their father drink wine that night; and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. ³⁴ And it came to pass on the next day that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in and lie with him that we may preserve the generation of our father. ³⁵ And they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. ³⁶ Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. ³⁷ And the firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. ³⁸ And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Benammi; the same is the father of the sons of Ammon unto this day.

¹² They that sat in the gate spoke against me, and I was the song of the drunkards.

¹² to deliver thee from the evil way, from the man that speaks perversion,

⁵ lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

⁴ They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

⁵ In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with a wineskin; he stretched out his hand with the scorners.

¹² These are spots in your banquets of charity, feeding themselves without any fear whatsoever: clouds without water, carried to and fro of the winds; trees withered as in fall, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; ¹³ raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own abominations; erratic stars, to whom is reserved gross darkness eternally.

⁸ And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

³³ and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou who hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging myself with my own hand. ³⁴ For in very deed as the LORD God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that piss against the wall. ³⁵ So David received of her hand that which she had brought him and said unto her, Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted thy person. ³⁶ ¶ And Abigail came to Nabal, and, behold, he held a banquet in his house like the banquet of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken; therefore, she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. ³⁷ But it came to pass in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. ³⁸ And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, and he died.

¹⁶ And so he brought him down, and behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and holding a feast because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and out of the land of Judah. ¹⁷ And David smote them from the morning twilight even unto the evening of the next day, and none of them escaped except four hundred young men who rode upon camels and fled.

⁹ And his slave Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah.

³⁸ For as they were in the days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

²⁷ They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹ but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

² For ye know well that the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night. ³ For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction shall come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. ⁴ But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should take you as a thief. ⁵ Ye are all the sons of light, and the sons of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. ⁶ ¶ Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those that sleep in the night, and those that are drunken are drunken in the night.

¹⁹ and it shall be, when that one hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst.

¹¹ ¶ As a dog returns to his vomit, so the fool returns to his folly.

²² ¶ Though thou should bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

¹² Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, or much more excellent.

³ O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they did not feel it; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive chastisement; they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

¹⁸ ¶ I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast afflicted me, and I was chastised as an indomitable bullock: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

³² If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what does it advantage me, if the dead do not rise? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die. ³³ Be not deceived: evil companions corrupt good character. ³⁴ Watch diligently, and sin not; for some do not know God: I speak this to your shame.

¹⁹ who, after losing all sense of feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²² But it has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog returns unto his own vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.