Proverbs 17 Cross References - LEB

¹ Better a dry morsel and quiet with it than a house filled with feasts of strife. ² A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully, and in the midst of brothers he will share his inheritance. ³ A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace is for the gold, but Yahweh will test hearts. ⁴ He who does evil listens to lips of wickedness, and the liar gives heed to the tongue of mischief. ⁵ He who mocks the poor insults him who made him; he who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished. ⁶ The crown of the elderly are _⌊grandchildren_⌋,* and the glory of children is their fathers. ⁷ _⌊Fine speech_⌋* is not becoming a fool, _⌊still less_⌋* is _⌊false speech_⌋* for a ruler. ⁸ The bribe is a stone of magic in the eyes of its owner;* _⌊everywhere_⌋* he will turn, he will prosper. ⁹ He who forgives an affront fosters love, but he who waits on a matter will alienate a friend. ¹⁰ A rebuke strikes him who understands deeper than one hundred blows to a fool. ¹¹ An evil person will seek only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him. ¹² May a man meet a she-bear robbed of offspring and not a fool in his folly. ¹³ For he who returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house. ¹⁴ Like the release of water is the beginning of strife; before it breaks out, stop the quarrel. ¹⁵ He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, the two of them are both abominations of Yahweh. ¹⁶ Why is this? A price in the hand of a fool, in order to buy wisdom where* there is no _⌊sense_⌋.* ¹⁷ The friend loves at all times*, but a brother is born for adversity. ¹⁸ A person who lacks _⌊sense_⌋* _⌊pledges_⌋;* he becomes security before his neighbor. ¹⁹ He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his high thresholds seeks destruction. ²⁰ He who is crooked of heart* will not find goodness, and he who is perverse, by his tongue he will fall into calamity. ²¹ He who begets a fool, there is trouble for him; the father of a fool will not rejoice. ²² A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit will dry out bones. ²³ The wicked will accept a bribe from the lap, in order to pervert the ways of justice. ²⁴ He who understands sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool, to the end of the earth.* ²⁵ A grief to his father is the child of a fool, and bitterness to her who bore him. ²⁶ Also, imposing a fine on the righteous is not good, nor to flog nobles for uprightness. ²⁷ He who spares his sayings knows knowledge, and a cool spirit is a man of understanding. ²⁸ Even a fool who keeps silent _⌊shall be considered wise_⌋;* he who closes his lips is intelligent.

¹⁶ The little belonging to the righteous is better than the wealth of many wicked.

¹⁴ "Sacrifices of peace offerings are upon me; _⌊today_⌋* I completed my vows.

¹⁷ Better is a dinner of vegetables when* love is there than a fattened ox and hatred with it.*

⁹ Better to dwell on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a woman* of contention.

¹⁹ Better to live in a land of wilderness than with a wife of quarrels and provocation.

⁴ but that you will go to my land and to my family, and take a wife for my son, for Isaac." ⁵ And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing _⌊to follow_⌋* me to this land—must I then return your son to the land from whence you came?" ⁶ Abraham said to him, "_⌊You must take care_⌋* that you do not return my son there. ⁷ Yahweh, the God of heaven who took me from the house of my father and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'to your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. ⁸ And if the woman is not willing _⌊to follow_⌋* you, then you shall be released from this oath of mine—only you must not return my son there." ⁹ Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and he swore to him concerning this matter. ¹⁰ And the servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and he went with all kinds of his master's good things in his hand. And he arose and went to Aram-Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. ¹¹ And he made the camels kneel outside the city at the well of water, at the time of evening, toward the time the women went out to draw water. ¹² And he said, "O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show loyal love to my master Abraham. ¹³ Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are going out to draw water. ¹⁴ And let it be that the girl to whom I shall say, 'Please, offer your jar that I may drink' and who says, 'Drink—and I will also water your camels,' she is the one you have chosen for your servant, for Isaac. By her I will know that you have shown loyal love to my master." ¹⁵ And it happened that before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah—who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham—came out, and her jar was on her shoulder. ¹⁶ Now the girl was very pleasing in appearance. She was a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. ¹⁷ And the servant ran to meet her. And he said, "Please, let me drink a little of the water from your jar." ¹⁸ And she said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly lowered her jar in her hand and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ When* she finished giving him a drink she said, "I will also draw water for your camels until they finish drinking." ²⁰ And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water. And she drew water for all his camels. ²¹ And the man was gazing at her silently to know if Yahweh had made his journey successful or not. ²² And it happened that as the camels finished drinking the man took a gold ring of a half shekel in weight and two bracelets for her arms, ten shekels in weight, ²³ and said, "Please tell me, whose daughter are you? Is there a place at the house of your father for us to spend the night?" ²⁴ And she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." ²⁵ Then she said to him, "We have both straw and fodder in abundance, as well as a place to spend the night." ²⁶ And the man knelt down and worshiped Yahweh. ²⁷ And he said, "Blessed be Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld* his loyal love and his faithfulness from my master. I was on the way and Yahweh led me to the house of my master's brother." ²⁸ Then the girl ran and reported these things to the household of her mother. ²⁹ Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. And Laban ran out to the man toward the spring. ³⁰ And when he saw the ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, who said, "Thus the man spoke to me," he went to the man. And behold, he was standing with the camels at the spring. ³¹ And he said, "Come, O blessed one of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? Now I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." ³² And the man came to the house and unloaded the camels. And he gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³ _⌊And food was placed before him_⌋* to eat. And he said, "I will not eat until _⌊I have told my errand_⌋."* And he said, "Speak." ³⁴ And he said, "I am the servant of Abraham. ³⁵ Now Yahweh has blessed my master exceedingly, and he has become great. He has given to him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male slaves and female slaves, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ And Sarah, the wife of my master, has borne a son to my master after her old age. And he* has given to him all that he has. ³⁷ And my master made me swear, saying, 'Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I am living. ³⁸ But you shall go to the house of my father, and to my family, and you shall take a wife for my son.' ³⁹ And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not _⌊follow_⌋* me.' ⁴⁰ And he said to me, 'Yahweh, before whom I have walked, shall send his angel with you and will make your journey successful. And you shall take a wife for my son from my family, and from the house of my father. ⁴¹ Then you shall be released from my oath, when you come to my family. And if they will not give a woman to you, then you will be released from my oath.' ⁴² Then today I came to the spring, and I said, 'O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, _⌊if you would please make my journey successful_⌋,* upon which I am going. ⁴³ Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let it be that the young woman who comes out to draw water and to whom I say, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar," ⁴⁴ let her say to me, "Drink; I will also draw water for your camels," she is the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for the son of my master.' ⁴⁵ I had not yet finished speaking to myself* when, behold, Rebekah was coming out with* her jar on her shoulder. And she went down to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' ⁴⁶ And she hastened and let down her jar _⌊from her shoulder_⌋* and said, 'Drink, and I will give a drink to your camels also.' Then I drank and she gave a drink to the camels also. ⁴⁷ Then I asked her and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.' And I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. ⁴⁸ And I knelt down and worshiped Yahweh, and I praised Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right way, to take the daughter of the brother of my master for his son. ⁴⁹ So now, _⌊if you are going to deal loyally and truly_⌋* with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left."* ⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered, and they said, "The matter has gone out from Yahweh; we are not able to speak bad or good to you. ⁵¹ Here is Rebekah before you. Take her and go; let her be a wife for the son of your master as Yahweh has spoken." ⁵² And it happened that when the servant of Abraham heard their words he bowed down to the ground to Yahweh. ⁵³ And the servant brought out silver jewelry and gold jewelry, and garments, and he gave them to Rebekah. And he gave precious gifts to her brother and to her mother. ⁵⁴ And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night. And they got up in the morning, and he said, "Let me go to my master." ⁵⁵ And her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl remain with us ten days or so; after that she may go." ⁵⁶ And he said to them, "Do not delay me. Now, Yahweh has made my journey successful. Let me go. I must go to my master." ⁵⁷ And they said, "Let us call the girl and ask _⌊her opinion_⌋."* ⁵⁸ And they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." ⁵⁹ So they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his men. ⁶⁰ And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "You are our sister; may you become countless thousands; and may your offspring take possession of the gate of his enemies." ⁶¹ And Rebekah and her maidservants arose, and they mounted the camels and _⌊followed_⌋* the man. And the servant took Rebekah and left. ⁶² Now Isaac was coming from the direction of Beer-Lahai-Roi. And he was living in the land of the Negev. ⁶³ And Isaac went out to meditate in the field _⌊early in the evening_⌋,* and he lifted up his eyes and saw—behold, camels were coming. ⁶⁴ And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac. And she got down from the camel. ⁶⁵ And she said to the servant, "Who is this man walking around in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "That is my master." And she took her* veil and covered herself. ⁶⁶ And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. ⁶⁷ And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother. And he took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after the death of his mother.

⁵ He who gathers in the summer is a child who is prudent; he who sleeps at the harvest is a child who brings shame.

²⁹ He who brings trouble to his household, he will inherit wind,* and a fool will serve the wise of heart.

³⁵ The favor of a king is for the servant who deals wisely, but his wrath will be on him who acts shamefully.

²⁶ He who does violence to a father, he who chases away a mother, is a child who causes shame and brings reproach.

¹⁵ As for a rod and reproof, they* will give wisdom, but a neglected child is disgraced by his mother.

¹³ A poor but wise youth is better than an old but foolish king who no longer knows _⌊how to receive advice_⌋.*

¹⁷ And I know, my God, that you yourself test the heart and are pleased with uprightness. I, in the uprightness of my heart, have willingly offered all these things, and now I have seen your people who are found here willingly offer to you.

² Prove me, O Yahweh, and test me. Try my _⌊innermost being_⌋* and my _⌊mind_⌋.*

¹⁰ For you have tested us, O God; you have tried us as silver is tried.

²¹ A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace for the gold, but a man is tested by the mouth of him who praises him.

¹⁰ Look! I have refined you, but* not like* silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of misery.

¹⁰ I, Yahweh, examine the _⌊mind_⌋,* I test the _⌊heart_⌋,* and give to each one according to his way, according to the fruit of his deeds.

⁹ And I will bring the remaining third into the fire, and I will refine them like one refines silver, and I will test them like one tests gold. They* will call my name, and I will answer them.* I will say, 'They* are my people,' and they* will say, 'Yahweh is my God.'"

² And who can endure the day of his coming? And who is the one who can stand _⌊when he appears_⌋?* For he is like a refiner's fire, like launderers' alkali.* ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the children of Levi, and he will refine them like gold and like silver, and they will present to Yahweh offerings* in righteousness.

⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, more valuable than gold that is passing away, but is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

²³ And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

⁷ Then Saul said to the servants who were standing around him, "Please listen, _⌊Benjaminites_⌋!* Will the son of Jesse give you all fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ For all of you have conspired against me, and _⌊no one discloses to me_⌋* the _⌊making_⌋* of an agreement between my son and the son of Jesse! None of you have had sympathy for me or _⌊disclosed to me_⌋* that _⌊my son commissioned my servant against me to ambush me_⌋* as has been done this day!" ⁹ But Doeg the Edomite, who was stationed among the servants of Saul, answered and said, "I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ And he inquired of Yahweh for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." ¹¹ So the king sent to summon Ahimelech the son of Ahitub the priest, and all his father's household, the priests who were at Nob. So all of them came to the king.

⁶ Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead for the battle, or should I refrain?" Then they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." ⁷ So Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of Yahweh here that we might still inquire from him?" ⁸ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man to inquire from Yahweh, but I despise him, for he never prophesies anything good concerning me, but only bad: Micaiah the son of Imlah." Then Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say so." ⁹ The king of Israel summoned a certain court official, and he said, "Quickly fetch Micaiah son of Imlah." ¹⁰ The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. ¹¹ Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, "Thus says Yahweh: 'With these you shall gore the Arameans until finishing them.'" ¹² All of the prophets were likewise prophesying, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king." ¹³ Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Please now, the words of the prophet are _⌊unanimously_⌋* favorable to the king. Please let your words be as one word with them, and speak favorably." ¹⁴ Then Micaiah said, "_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋,* surely only as Yahweh speaks to me, that will I speak." ¹⁵ When he came to the king, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to the battle, or shall we refrain?" He said to him, "Go up and triumph, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king." ¹⁶ Then the king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear that you shall not tell me anything but truth in the name of Yahweh?" ¹⁷ So he said, "I saw all of Israel scattering to the mountains, like the sheep without a shepherd. Yahweh also said, 'There are no masters for these, let them return in peace, each to his house.'" ¹⁸ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but disaster?" ¹⁹ And he* said, "Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne with all the hosts of heaven standing beside him from his right hand and from his left hand. ²⁰ And Yahweh said, 'Who will entice Ahab so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?' Then _⌊this one was saying one thing and the other one was saying another_⌋.* ²¹ Then a spirit came out and stood before Yahweh and said, 'I will entice him,' and Yahweh said to him, 'How?' ²² He said, 'I will go out and I will be a false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he* said, 'You shall entice and succeed, go out and do so.' ²³ So then, see that Yahweh has placed a false spirit in the mouth of all of these your prophets, and Yahweh has spoken disaster concerning you." ²⁴ Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came near and slapped Micaiah on the cheek and said, "When did the Spirit of Yahweh pass from me to speak with you?" ²⁵ Then Micaiah said, "Behold, you are about to see on that day when you go _⌊from room to room_⌋* to hide." ²⁶ The king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the commander of the city and to Jehoash the son of the king; ²⁷ and say, 'Thus says the king: "Put this fellow in the house of imprisonment and feed him reduced rations of food and water until I come in peace." '" ²⁸ Then Micaiah said, "If you indeed return in peace, then Yahweh has not spoken with me." Then he said, "Let all the peoples hear!"

⁴ Those who forsake instruction will praise the wicked, but they who guard instruction will struggle against them.

¹⁰ who say to those who do see, "You must not see!" and to the seers, "You must not see truth for us; speak smooth things to us, see illusions,

³¹ The prophets prophesy _⌊falsely_⌋,* and the priests rule _⌊by their own authority_⌋,* and my people love it* so much. But what will you do _⌊when the end comes_⌋?*

³ For there will be a time when they will not put up with sound teaching, but in accordance with their own desires, they will accumulate for themselves teachers, _⌊because they have an insatiable curiosity_⌋*, ⁴ and they will turn away from the hearing of the truth, but will turn to myths. ⁵ They are from the world; _⌊therefore_⌋* they speak from the world and the world listens to them.

³ And one of its heads appeared as though slaughtered to death, and its _⌊fatal wound_⌋* had been healed. And the whole earth was astonished and followed after the beast. ⁴ And they worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to make war with him? ⁵ And a mouth was given to him speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority to act was given to him for forty-two months. ⁶ And he opened his mouth for blasphemies toward God, to blaspheme his name and his dwelling, those who live in heaven. ⁷ And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and people and language and nation. ⁸ And all those who live on the earth will worship him, _⌊everyone whose name is not written_⌋* from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

²⁹ "If I have rejoiced at the ruin of the one who hated me or* have exulted when evil overtook him—

⁹ because the zeal for your house* has consumed me, and the reproaches of those reproaching you have fallen on me.

²¹ He who despises his neighbor is a sinner, but he who has mercy on the poor blesses him.

³¹ He who oppresses the poor insults him who made him, but he who has mercy on the poor honors him.

⁵ An abomination of Yahweh are all who are arrogant of heart;* _⌊rest assured_⌋,* he will not go unpunished.

¹⁷ While your enemies are falling, do not rejoice; when he trips himself, may your heart* not be glad ¹⁸ lest Yahweh see and it be evil in his eyes, and turn his anger away from him.

¹⁶ But I, I have not run away from being a shepherd _⌊who follows you_⌋,* and I have not desired the disastrous day. You, you know the pronouncement of my lips, it was before your face.

¹¹ On _⌊the day you stood nearby_⌋,* _⌊on the day strangers took_⌋* his wealth, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots over Jerusalem, you were also like one of them. ¹² But you should not have gloated* over your brother's day, on the day of his misfortune, and you should not have rejoiced over the _⌊people_⌋* of Judah on the day of their perishing, and you should not have opened your mouth wide on the day of distress. ¹³ You should not have entered the gate of my people on the day of their disaster. You also should not have gloated over his misery on the day of his disaster, and you should not have stretched out your hands on the day of his disaster.

¹⁶ For just as you have drunk on _⌊my holy mountain_⌋,* all the nations will drink continually. They will drink and they will slurp, and they will be as if they had never been.

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

¹⁷ But whoever has the world's material possessions and observes his brother _⌊in need_⌋* and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God reside in him?

²³ And Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. Moreover, the children of Makir, son of Manasseh, were born on the knees of Joseph.

¹⁴ And God said to Moses, "I am that I am." And he said, "So you must say to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* 'I am sent me to you.'" ¹⁵ And God said again to Moses, "So you must say to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* 'Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,* 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 my remembrance from generation to generation.'

¹² However, I will not do it in your days, for the sake of David your father; from the hand of your son I will tear it away.

⁴ For the sake of David, Yahweh his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by establishing his son after him and by causing Jerusalem to exist;

¹⁶ And Job lived after this one hundred and forty years, and he saw his sons and his _⌊grandsons_⌋* for four generations. ¹⁷ Then* Job died old and full of days.

³ Look, children* are the heritage* of Yahweh; the fruit of the womb is a reward. ⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children* of one's youth. ⁵ Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.* They shall not be put to shame when they speak with enemies at the gate.

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine _⌊within_⌋* your house. Your children* will be like olive shoots about your table. ⁴ Look, for thus shall a man be blessed _⌊who fears Yahweh_⌋.* ⁵ May Yahweh bless you from Zion, that you may see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life, ⁶ and that you may see your children's children. May peace be upon Israel.

²² He who is good will leave an inheritance to _⌊his grandchildren_⌋,* and stored up for the righteous is the wealth of a sinner.

³¹ A crown of glory is gray hair; by a righteous life it is gained.

³ The God of Israel said to me, the rock of Israel has spoken; 'He who rules over mankind rules righteously, in the fear of God.

¹² What's more, God truly does not act wickedly, and Shaddai does not pervert justice.

¹⁶ But to the wicked God says, "What right have you to recite my statutes and _⌊mention my covenant with your mouth_⌋,* ¹⁷ while you yourself hate discipline, and cast my words behind you?

³ I will not set before my eyes any wicked thing. I hate the work of those who fall away;* it will not cling to me. ⁴ A perverse heart will depart from me; I will not know evil. ⁵ One who slanders his neighbor in secret, him I will destroy. One haughty of eyes and _⌊arrogant_⌋* of heart, him I will not endure.

¹⁹ A lip of truth endures forever, but a tongue of deception lasts only a moment.

¹⁰ A decision is upon the lips of a king; in judgment his mouth will not sin. ¹¹ A balance and scales of justice belong to Yahweh; all the weights of the bag are his work. ¹² An abomination to kings is doing evil, for by righteousness the throne will be established. ¹³ The delight of kings are the lips of righteousness, and he who speaks what is upright he will love.

⁷ Like legs that hang limp from a lame person, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

¹² A ruler listening to a word of falsehood, all his officials are wicked.

⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye!

⁹ Then Esau said, "_⌊I have enough_⌋* my brother; _⌊keep what you have_⌋."* ¹⁰ And Jacob said, "No, please, if I have found favor in your eyes, you must take my gift from my hand, for then I have seen your face which is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me. ¹¹ Please take my gift which has been brought to you, for God has dealt graciously with me, and because _⌊I have enough_⌋."* And he urged him, so he took it.

¹¹ Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so then do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, and pistachios and almonds.

⁸ And you will not take a bribe, because the bribe makes the sighted blind and ruins the words of the righteous.

¹⁹ You shall not subvert* justice; you shall not _⌊show partiality_⌋;* and you shall not take a bribe, for the bribe makes blind the eyes of the wise and misrepresents the words of the righteous.

³⁵ Then David took from her hand what she had brought for him, and he said to her, "Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to your voice, and I have _⌊granted your request_⌋."*

¹ Now David passed a little from beyond the summit, and suddenly Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him with a pair of saddled donkeys; on them were two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred raisin cakes, with a hundred summer fruits and a skin of wine. ² The king said to Ziba, "_⌊What do you want to accomplish by bringing these_⌋?"* And Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on; the bread and the summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for the faint in the wilderness to drink. ³ Then the king said, "Where is the son of your lord?" And Ziba said to the king, "He is living in Jerusalem for he said, 'Today the house of Israel shall return the kingdom of my father to me.'" ⁴ The king said to Ziba, "Look, all that was Mephibosheth's is yours." Ziba said, "I hereby do obeisance; may I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king."

¹⁶ He reached* from on high; he seized me. He drew me from many waters.

⁶ Its rising is from one* end of the heavens and its circuit to the other end* of them; and nothing is hidden from its heat.

¹³ Be exalted, O Yahweh, in your strength, and we sing and praise your power.

⁴ The voice of Yahweh is powerful. The voice of Yahweh is majestic.

²³ The wicked will accept a bribe from the lap, in order to pervert the ways of justice.

¹⁴ A gift in secret* will avert _⌊anger_⌋,* and a _⌊concealed bribe_⌋,* strong wrath.

²³ Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Every one loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan and the legal dispute of the widow does not come before them.

¹² For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous, you foes of the righteous, those who take a bribe, and _⌊those who_⌋* push aside the poor ones in the gate!

³ Their hands are upon evil, to do it well; the official and the judge ask for the bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; and they weave it together.

¹ Of David. A maskil.*
Happy is he whose transgression is taken away, whose sin is covered.

¹² Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers over all offenses.

²⁸ A person of perversity will spread dissent, and he who whispers separates a close friend.

⁸ Above all, keep* your love for one another constant, because love covers a large number of sins.

⁵ Let a righteous one strike me in kindness, and let him chasten me. It is oil for my head;* let not my head refuse. For still my prayer is against their evil deeds.

⁸ Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke the wise and he will love you. ⁹ Give to a wise one and he will become more wise; _⌊teach_⌋* a righteous one and he will increase learning.

¹ A wise child hears the discipline of a father, but a scoffer does not listen to a rebuke.

⁵ A fool will despise the instruction of his father, but he who guards reproof is prudent.

²⁵ The scoffer you shall strike, and the simple, may they learn prudence, and reprove the intelligent and he will gain knowledge.

²² If you crush a fool in the mortar with the pestle _⌊along with_⌋* the crushed grain, it will not drive folly from upon him.

¹⁹ By words, a servant is not disciplined, for he will understand, but there is no giving heed.

¹⁹ As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. Be zealous, therefore, and repent!

¹² Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, the advisor of David, from his city Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. The conspiracy _⌊grew in strength_⌋,* and the people were going and _⌊increasing_⌋* with Absalom.

⁵ King David came up to Bahurim and suddenly a man from there was coming out from the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Shimei the son of Gera. _⌊He was cursing as he came out_⌋.* ⁶ And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David and at all the people and at all the mighty warriors on his right and on his left. ⁷ Shimei said while cursing him, "Go out, go out, you _⌊man of bloodshed_⌋,* you _⌊man of wickedness_⌋.* ⁸ Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the household of Saul _⌊whom you have supplanted as king_⌋,* and Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you are in disaster for you are a man of blood." ⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head."

¹⁵ Then ten of the young men who bore the weapons of Joab surrounded him and struck and killed Absalom.

¹⁹ Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Please let me run and bring the good news to the king that Yahweh has vindicated him from the hand of his enemies."

¹ Now a man of wickedness was found there whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. He blew the horn and said, "There is no share for us in David, and there is no inheritance for us in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel!"

²² The woman went to all of the people with her wise plan, so they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. Then he blew the horn and dispersed from the city, each to his tent. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

²⁴ So then, _⌊as Yahweh lives_⌋,* who has established me and seated me on the throne of my father David and who has established for me a dynasty as he promised, then surely Adonijah will be put to death today." ²⁵ King Solomon sent through the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, so he struck him, and he died.

³¹ Then the king said to him, "Do as he spoke; fall upon him and bury him, and so you shall remove the innocent blood that Joab shed from on me and from on the house of my father.

⁴⁶ Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him, and he died. So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

⁴¹ They said to him, "He will destroy those evil men completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season."

⁷ And the king was angry and sent his troops and* destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

²⁷ But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them* here and slaughter them in my presence!'"

⁸ Hushai continued, "You know your father and his men, that they are mighty warriors and they _⌊are enraged_⌋* as a bear robbed of her offspring in the field. Your father is a man of war, so he will not spend the night with the troops.

²⁴ When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Then two bears came out of the forest and mauled forty-two boys among them.

³ Heavy is a stone and weighty is sand, but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

¹⁵ Like a roaring lion and a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

⁸ I will attack them like a bear robbed of her offspring, and I will tear open the covering of their heart; there I will devour them like a lion, like an animal of the field would mutilate them.

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he* saw that he had been deceived by the wise men, became very angry, and he sent soldiers* and* executed all the children in Bethlehem and in all the region around it from the age of two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined precisely from the wise men.

¹⁷ Then he said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me the good, but I have repaid you the evil.

² And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malki-Shua, the sons of Saul. ³ _⌊Saul was in the thick of the battle_⌋,* and _⌊the archers_⌋* spotted* him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.

¹⁰ So then, a sword will not turn away from your house forever, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife!'

¹ There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David _⌊inquired of Yahweh_⌋,* and Yahweh said, "The bloodguilt is on Saul and on his household, because he killed the Gibeonites." ² So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not from the _⌊Israelites_⌋;* they were from the remainder of the Amorites. Now the _⌊Israelites_⌋* had sworn to them,* but Saul tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the _⌊Israelites_⌋* and Judah. ³ So David asked the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you, and with what can I make amends that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?" ⁴ Then the Gibeonites said to him, "_⌊It is not a matter for us of_⌋* silver or gold with Saul or with his household. It is not for us to put to death anyone in Israel." He asked, "What are you saying that I should do for you all?" ⁵ Then they said to the king, "The man who consumed us and who plotted against us so that we were destroyed from existing in all of the territory of Israel, ⁶ let seven men from his sons be given over to us, and we will execute them before Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen one of Yahweh." Then the king said, "I will give them over." ⁷ But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the sworn oath of Yahweh which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. ⁸ So the king took two of the sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, namely Armoni and Mephibosheth, and five of the sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. ⁹ He gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they executed them on the mountain in the presence of Yahweh, and the seven fell together. Now they were put to death in the days of the harvest, at the beginning of the harvest of barley. ¹⁰ Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took the sackcloth, and she spread it for herself on the rock at the beginning of the harvest until water gushed forth on them from heaven, but she did not allow the birds of heaven to rest on them by day nor the animals of the field by night. ¹¹ David was told about what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. ¹² So David left and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the rulers of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth Shan, where the Philistines hung them _⌊when_⌋* the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. ¹³ He brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of the executed. ¹⁴ And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin at Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. They did all that the king had commanded, and afterward God was entreated for the land.

¹² They repay me evil in place of good. It is bereavement to my soul.

²⁰ And those who repay evil in return for good accuse me in return for my pursuing good.

¹² For it is not an enemy that taunts me, or I could bear it. It is not one who hates me that magnifies himself over me, or I could hide myself from him. ¹³ But it is you, a man my equal, my friend and confidant. ¹⁴ We who would take sweet counsel together; in the house* of God we would walk with the throng. ¹⁵ Let death deceive them. May they descend to Sheol alive, because evil is in their home and _⌊heart_⌋.*

⁴ In return for my love they accuse me, though I am in prayer.* ⁵ So they inflicted evil against me in return for good and hatred in return for my love. ⁶ Appoint over him a wicked man, and let an accuser stand at his right hand. ⁷ When he is judged, let him come out guilty, and let his prayer* become as sin. ⁸ Let his days be few; let another take his office. ⁹ Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow, ¹⁰ and let his children wander aimlessly and beg, and let them plead from their ruins. ¹¹ Let the creditor seize all that is his, and let strangers plunder his property. ¹² Let there be none who extend to him loyal love, nor any who pities his orphans. ¹³ Let his descendants* be cut off. Let their name be blotted out in the next generation.

²⁰ Should good be repaid in place of evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember my standing _⌊before you_⌋* to speak good for them, to avert your wrath from them. ²¹ _⌊Therefore_⌋* give their children to the famine, and hand them over to the _⌊power_⌋* of the sword, and let their wives be bereaved and widows, and let their men be killed by death, their young men struck dead by the sword in the battle.

⁵ And throwing the silver coins into the temple he departed. And he went away and* hanged himself.

²⁵ And all the people answered and* said, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

¹⁷ Pay back no one evil for evil. Take thought for what is good in the sight of all people.

¹⁵ See to it that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue good toward* one another and toward all people.

⁹ not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing others, because for this reason you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing.

⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there not be quarreling between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we men are brothers. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you want what is on the left, then I will go right; if you want what is on the right, I will go left."

¹ The men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?"* And they quarreled with him severely. ² And he said to them, "What I have done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? ³ God has given into your hand the commanders of Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?" And their _⌊anger_⌋* against him subsided when _⌊he said that_⌋.*

¹ The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over and make war against the _⌊Ammonites_⌋,* and why did you not call us to go with you? We will burn down your house over you with fire." ² And Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were engaged in great conflict with the _⌊Ammonites_⌋;* I called you, but you did not deliver me from their hand. ³ I saw that you would not deliver us; _⌊I risked my own life_⌋,* and I crossed over to the _⌊Ammonites_⌋,* and Yahweh gave them into my hand. Why have you come up to me this day to fight against me?" ⁴ Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead, and he made war with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim because they said, "You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh." ⁵ Then Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan from Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" When he said, "No," ⁶ they said to him, "Please say Shibboleth," and if he said, "Sibboleth"—because he could not _⌊pronounce it_⌋* correctly—they grabbed him and executed him at the fords of Jordan. At that time forty-two thousand from Ephraim fell.

¹⁴ Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come up and fight in our presence." And Joab said, "Let them come up." ¹⁵ So they came forward and passed by in number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. ¹⁶ Then each seized his _⌊opponent_⌋* by the head and each thrust his sword in the side of his opponent, so they fell together. So they* called the name of that place Helkath Hazzurim,* which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷ Then the battle _⌊became increasingly fierce_⌋* on that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

⁴¹ Suddenly, all the men of Israel were coming to the king. They said to the king, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, with all the men of David?"

¹⁴ And he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "I will make your yoke heavy, and I myself will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will do so with scorpions." ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turning of events from God, so that Yahweh might fulfill his word that he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. ¹⁶ So all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, and the people answered the king, saying, "What portion is there for us in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David!" And all Israel went to their own tents.

¹⁷ And Abijah and his people struck a great blow against them, and the dead from Israel that fell were five hundred thousand chosen men.

¹⁷ Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel, and he sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come,* _⌊let us face one another_⌋.* ¹⁸ And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thorn bush that is in Lebanon has sent to the cedar which is in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife.' But a wild animal of the field that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. ¹⁹ Look, you say that you have struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up to boast. Now remain at your home. Why stir up disaster that you fall, you and Judah with you?" ²⁰ But Amaziah did not listen, for it was from God that he might give them into the hand of enemies, because they sought the gods of Edom. ²¹ So Joash the king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah the king of Judah _⌊faced one another_⌋* at Beth-Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ²² And Judah was defeated before Israel, and each man fled to his tent. ²³ And Joash the king of Israel captured Amaziah the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-Shemesh. And they brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. ²⁴ Then with all the gold and silver, all the objects found in the house of God with Obed-Edom, the storehouses of the house of the king, and _⌊the hostages_⌋,* he returned to Samaria.

⁶ And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed in one day one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah, all men of strength, because they forsook Yahweh the God of their ancestors.*

¹⁰ Only by insolence is strife set up, and wisdom is with those who take advice.

²⁹ He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but the hasty of spirit* exalts folly.

¹ A soft answer will turn away wrath, but a word of trouble will stir _⌊anger_⌋.*

³² He who is slow to anger* is better than him who is mighty, and he who controls his spirit than him who captures a city.

¹⁹ He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his high thresholds seeks destruction.

¹¹ The understanding of a person makes him slow to his _⌊anger_⌋,* and his glory overlooks offense.

³ It is honorable for the man to refrain from strife, but every fool will be quick to quarrel.

⁸ do not hastily bring out to court, for* what will you do at its end, when your neighbor puts you to shame?

²¹ As charcoal is to hot embers and wood is to fire, so a man of quarrels is to kindling strife.

²² A man of anger will stir strife, and the owner of anger, much transgression.

⁸ The end of a matter is better than its beginning; _⌊better to be slow to anger than hot-headed_⌋.* ⁹ Do not be quick in your spirit to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

³⁹ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek,* turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ And the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, _⌊let him have_⌋* your outer garment also. ⁴¹ And whoever forces you to go one mile,* go with him two.

¹ Now in these days, as* the disciples were increasing in number,* a complaint arose by the _⌊Greek-speaking Jews_⌋* against the _⌊Hebraic Jews_⌋* because* their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.* ² So the twelve summoned the community of disciples and* said, "It is not desirable that we neglect the word of God to serve tables. ³ So, brothers, select from among you seven men _⌊of good reputation_⌋,* full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." ⁵ And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch),

² And after* there was no little strife and debate by Paul and Barnabas against them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this issue. ³ So they were sent on their way by the church, and* passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ And when they* arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and reported all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some of those who had believed from the party of the Pharisees stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them* to observe the law of Moses!" ⁶ Both the apostles and the elders assembled to deliberate concerning this matter. ⁷ And after* there was much debate, Peter stood up and* said to them, "Men and brothers, you know that in the early days* God chose among you through my mouth that the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by* giving them* the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us. ⁹ And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ So now why are you putting God to the test by* placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in _⌊the same_⌋* way those also are." ¹² And the whole group became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³ And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Men and brothers, listen to me! ¹⁴ Simeon has described how God first concerned himself to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name. ¹⁵ And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: ¹⁶ 'After these things I will return and build up again the tent of David that has fallen, and the parts of it that had been torn down I will build up again and will restore it, ¹⁷ so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles* _⌊who are called by my name_⌋,* says the Lord,* who makes these things ¹⁸ known from of old.'* ¹⁹ Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, ²⁰ but we should write a letter to them to abstain from the pollution of idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. ²¹ For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, because he* is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

¹⁸ If it is possible on your part, be at peace with all people.

¹¹ and to aspire to live a quiet life, and to attend to _⌊your own business_⌋,* and to work with your hands,* just as we commanded you,

²³ But avoid foolish and uninformed controversies, because you* know that they produce quarrels. ²⁴ And the slave of the Lord must not quarrel, but be kind toward everyone, skillful in teaching, tolerant,

¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy, ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among* those who make peace.

⁷ You will stay far from a _⌊false charge_⌋,* and do not kill the innocent and the righteous, because I will not declare the wicked righteous.*

¹³ Then the two men, _⌊scoundrels_⌋,* came, sat opposite him, and the _⌊scoundrels_⌋* witnessed against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king," so they brought him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.

¹⁶ There are six things Yahweh hates, and seven things are abominations of his soul:*

¹ Balances of deceit are an abomination of Yahweh, but _⌊an accurate weight_⌋* delights him.

⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

⁵ Being partial to faces of evil is not good, nor to subvert the righteous at the judgment.

²³ These sayings are also for the wise: _⌊Partiality_⌋* in judgment is not good. ²⁴ Whoever says to the guilty, "You are righteous," the people will curse him; the nations will abhor him.

²³ Those who acquit the guilty because of a bribe and remove the justice of the innocent from him.

⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,"
_⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ⁹ "For as the heavens are _⌊higher_⌋* than the earth, so my ways are _⌊higher_⌋* than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

²⁷ Its officials are like wolves tearing prey in its midst, to pour out blood, to destroy people, to make dishonest gain. ²⁸ And for them its prophets plaster whitewash; they are seeing falseness and are practicing divination for them by lying, saying, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh,' and Yahweh has not spoken. ²⁹ They severely oppress the people of the land, and _⌊they committed robbery_⌋,* and they mistreated the needy and the poor, and they oppressed the alien _⌊without_⌋* justice.

⁷ Ah, you who turn justice into wormwood and hurl righteousness to the ground!

¹² Do horses run on rocks, or does one plow the sea with oxen?* But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood!

¹⁸ But they all cried out in unison, saying, "Take this man away, and release for us Barabbas!" ¹⁹ (who had been thrown in prison because of a certain insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder). ²⁰ And Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them** again, ²¹ but they kept crying out, saying, "Crucify! Crucify him!" ²² So he said to them a third time, "Why? What wrong has this man done? I found no basis for an accusation _⌊deserving death_⌋* in him. Therefore I will punish him and* release him."* ²³ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he be crucified. And their cries prevailed. ²⁴ And Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵ And he released the one who had been thrown into prison because of insurrection and murder, whom they were asking for, but Jesus he handed over to their will.

⁵ But to the one who does not work, but who believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness,

⁶ You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous person; he does not resist you.

²⁹ _⌊If only_⌋* _⌊they had such a mind_⌋';* that is, to fear me and to keep all my commandments _⌊at all times_⌋,* so that _⌊it will go well_⌋* for them and for their children _⌊forever_⌋.*

¹¹ But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not yield to me. ¹² So I let them* go in the stubbornness of their heart; they walked in their counsels. ¹³ Oh that my people would listen to me; that Israel would walk in my ways.

²² "_⌊How long_⌋,* O simple ones, will you love simplicity? And how long will scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge? ²³ May you turn to my argument!* Behold, I shall pour out my spirit upon you; I will make my words known to you.

⁴ "To you, O _⌊people_⌋,* I call, and my cry is to the children of humankind. ⁵ Learn prudence, O simple ones; fools, learn _⌊intelligence_⌋.*

⁴ "Whoever is simple, let him turn here." As for the one who lacks _⌊sense_⌋,* she says to him, ⁵ "Come, eat with my bread; drink with the wine I have mixed. ⁶ Lay aside simplicity and live; walk in the way of understanding."

⁶ A scoffer seeks wisdom, but there is none, but knowledge _⌊comes easily to him who understands_⌋.*

¹⁵ An intelligent _⌊mind_⌋* will acquire knowledge, and the ear of the wise will seek knowledge.

²⁵ The craving of a lazy person will kill him, for his hands refuse to work.* ²⁶ _⌊All day_⌋* he craves a craving, but the righteous will give and not hold back.

²³ Buy truth and do not sell it, wisdom and instruction and understanding.

¹ "Ho! Everyone thirsty, come to the waters! And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat, and come, buy without money, wine and milk without price! ² Why do you weigh out money for what is not food, and your labor for _⌊what cannot satisfy_⌋?* Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul take pleasure in _⌊rich_⌋* food. ³ Extend your ear, and come to me! Listen so that* your soul may live, and I will _⌊make_⌋* an everlasting covenant with* you, the enduring proofs of _⌊the mercies shown to_⌋* David.

¹¹ whoredom_⌋.* Wine and new wine _⌊take away the understanding_⌋.*

²⁰ For everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed.

⁴⁶ Both Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly and* said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you, since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life! Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles!

²⁶ saying,
'Go to this people and say, "_⌊You will keep on hearing_⌋* and will never understand, and _⌊you will keep on seeing_⌋* and will never perceive. ²⁷ For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their* ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, lest they see with their* eyes, and hear with their* ears, and understand with their* heart, and turn, and I would heal them." '*

¹ Now because we* are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

¹⁶ But Ruth said, "_⌊Do not urge_⌋* me to leave you or to return from _⌊following you_⌋!* For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.

³ Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.

² So Jonathan informed David, saying, "My father Saul is trying to kill you; now please take care! In the morning you should stay in the hiding place and conceal yourself.

¹⁷ And Jonathan again made David swear an oath, because he loved him; for with the love of his soul he loved him.

¹⁶ So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David at Horesh, and _⌊encouraged him_⌋* through God.

²⁶ _⌊I am distressed_⌋* over you, my brother Jonathan. you were very dear to me; your love was more wonderful to me than the love of women.

¹ Then David said, "Is there still anyone who is left for the house of Saul that I may show loyal love to him for the sake of Jonathan?" ² Now Saul's household had a servant whose name was Ziba, so they summoned him to David, and the king asked him, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "_⌊At your service_⌋!"* ³ Then the king said, "But is there still anyone of Saul's household that I may show the loyal love of God with him?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in the feet." ⁴ The king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "_⌊He is here_⌋* in the house of Makir the son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." ⁵ So King David sent and brought him from the house of Makir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar. ⁶ So Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David. And he fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, "Mephibosheth," and he said, "_⌊I am ready to serve you_⌋."* ⁷ Then David said to him, "Don't be afraid, for _⌊I will certainly show_⌋* loyal love to you for the sake of Jonathan your father, and I will restore to you all the lands of Saul your father. And you shall always eat food at my table." ⁸ Then he* did obeisance and said, "What is your servant that you have paid attention to the dead dog like me?" ⁹ David summoned Ziba the servant of Saul and said to him, "All that was Saul's and all his household I have given to the son of your master. ¹⁰ You shall till the land for him, you and your sons and your servants; you shall bring in the produce and it shall be food for the son of your master that he may eat. But Mephibosheth the son of your master may always eat food at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.) ¹¹ Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my master the king commands his servant, so your servant will do." So Mephibosheth was eating at his table as one of the sons of the king. ¹² Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah, and all of the dwelling of the household of Ziba became servants for Mephibosheth. ¹³ And Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, because he was continually eating at the table of the king, even though he was lame in both of his feet.

¹⁴ For if indeed you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and the family of your father will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to a royal position for a time such as this."

²⁴ A man of many friends will come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

⁷ All the brothers of the poor, if they hate him, how much more will his friends keep away from him. He pursues them with words, and they are gone.*

¹³ No one has greater love than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you.

¹¹ For both the one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified are all from one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

¹ My child, if you have pledged to your neighbor, if you have bound _⌊yourself_⌋* to the stranger, ² if you are snared by the sayings of your mouth, if you are caught by the sayings of your mouth, ³ do this, then, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into _⌊the palm of your neighbor's hand_⌋:* Go, humble yourself, plead with your neighbor. ⁴ Do not give sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids. ⁵ Save yourself like a gazelle from a hand, or like a bird from the hand of a fowler.

¹⁵ He will suffer trouble when he loans to a stranger, but he who refuses a pledge is safe.

¹⁶ Take his garment, for he has given security to a stranger, and on behalf of a foreigner—take it as pledge.

¹⁶ He who oppresses the poor in order to enrich himself, or gives to the rich, _⌊will come to poverty_⌋.*

²⁶ Do not be with those who _⌊give a pledge_⌋* _⌊by becoming_⌋* surety. ²⁷ If there is nothing for you to pay,* why will he take your bed from under you?

³⁶ Then Abigail went to Nabal, and look, _⌊he was holding a feast_⌋* in his house like the feast of the king. _⌊Nabal was enjoying himself_⌋,* and he was very drunk, so she did not tell him a thing, _⌊nothing at all_⌋,* until the light of morning. ³⁷ _⌊And then_⌋* in the morning when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these words. Then his heart died _⌊within him_⌋,* and he became like a stone. ³⁸ _⌊And then_⌋,* about ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal and he died.

¹ It happened afterward that Absalom made himself a chariot with horses and fifty men running before him.

⁵ Now Adonijah the son of Haggith was exalting himself, saying, "I will be king," so he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men running before him.

¹⁸ Before destruction comes pride, and before a fall, a haughty spirit.*

¹⁴ Like the release of water is the beginning of strife; before it breaks out, stop the quarrel.

¹² In the presence of destruction, the heart* of a man will be haughty, but in the presence of honor, humble.

²⁷ Prepare your work in the street and get it ready for yourself in the field; afterward, then* you shall build your house.

⁹ If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man, then there is rankling and ridicule,* but there is no relief.

²² A man of anger will stir strife, and the owner of anger, much transgression. ²³ The pride of a person will bring him humiliation, and the lowly of spirit will obtain honor.

¹³ Woe to the one who builds his house without righteousness, and his upper rooms without justice. His fellow countryman, he works for nothing, and he does not give to him his wages.* ¹⁴ Who says 'I will build for myself a spacious house with large upper rooms,' and he cuts windows for it, and it is* paneled with cedar, and he paints it* with vermilion. ¹⁵ Do you reign as king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and he did justice and righteousness, then it was well with him?

²⁰ The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong and its height reached to heaven* and _⌊it was visible to the end of the whole earth_⌋,* ²¹ and its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and so there was provision for all in it, and the animals* of the field lived under it and in its branches nest the birds of heaven,*

²⁰ For I am afraid lest somehow when I* arrive, I will not find you as I want, and I may be found by you as you do not want. I am afraid* lest somehow there will be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, pride, disorder.

²⁰ for human* anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God.

¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.

²⁶ To the pure you show yourself pure. but to the wicked you show yourself shrewd.

³² for he who is perverse is an abomination of Yahweh, but those who are upright are his confidence.

¹² A worthless man, an evil man, goes around with _⌊deceitful speech_⌋.* ¹³ Winking in his eye, shuffling in his foot, pointing in his fingers, ¹⁴ perversion in his heart, he devises evil; at all times he will send out discord.* ¹⁵ Upon _⌊such a man_⌋,* suddenly shall his calamity come; in a moment he will be damaged and there is no healing.*

¹³ The fear of Yahweh is hatred of evil, pride, and arrogance and an evil way. And I hate a mouth of perversity.

¹⁰ The winking of an eye causes* trouble, and the foolishness of lips comes to ruin.

¹⁴ Those who are wise lay up knowledge, but to the mouth of the fool, ruin draws near.

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

⁶ The lips of a fool will bring strife, and his mouth calls out for a flogging. ⁷ The mouth of a fool is ruin to him, and his lips are a snare to his soul.*

¹² The wise man wins favor by the words of his mouth, but the fool is devoured by his own lips.

⁶ And the tongue is a fire! The world of unrighteousness,* the tongue, is set among our members, defiling the whole body and setting on fire _⌊the course of human existence_⌋*, being set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every species of animals and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is being tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸ but no human being is able to tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

³⁴ And when Esau was forty years old he took as wife Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite.

³² You will look at the distress of my dwelling place, despite all the good caused for Israel, but there will never be an old man in your household _⌊forever_⌋!* ³³ The only one I will not cut off from my altar is you.* Rather, to cause your eyes to fail and to cause your soul to grieve, _⌊all the members of your household_⌋* will die as men.* ³⁴ This is the sign for you that will come regarding your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: they will both die on the same day! ³⁵ But I will raise up for myself a reliable* priest; he will do just according to what is in my heart and in my soul. I will build for him a lasting* house and he will walk continually before my anointed one _⌊forever_⌋.*

³ But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after gain, they took bribes, and they perverted justice.

³³ * The king was upset, and he went up to the upper room of the gate and wept. He said as he went, "My son, Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom. _⌊If only_⌋* I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son."

¹ The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child makes a father glad, but a foolish child grieves his mother.

²⁰ A child of wisdom will make a father glad, but a _⌊foolish person_⌋,* he despises his mother.

²⁵ A grief to his father is the child of a fool, and bitterness to her who bore him.

¹³ A foolish child is a ruin to his father, and the quarreling of a woman* is a continuous dripping.

¹⁵ My child, if your heart* is wise, my heart will be glad—even me! ¹⁶ And my _⌊insides_⌋* will rejoice when your lips speak what is upright.

³ And I wrote this very thing in order that when I* came, I would not experience sorrow from those who ought to have made me glad, because I* have confidence about you all, that my joy _⌊belongs to all of you_⌋*.

¹⁹ I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will pay it back, lest I mention to you that _⌊you owe me even your very self besides_⌋*. ²⁰ Yes, brother, I ought to have some benefit of you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

⁴ I have no greater joy than this: that I hear my children are walking in the truth.

¹⁵ My strength is dry like a potsherd, and my tongue is sticking to my jaws; and you have placed me in the dust of death.

³ When I kept silent, my bones were worn out due to my groaning all the day. ⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me. My vigor was changed into the dry heat of summer. Selah

³ for my days vanish in smoke, and my bones are charred like a hearth. ⁴ My heart is struck like grass and withers. Indeed, I forget to eat* my bread. ⁵ Because of the sound of my groaning my bones* cling to my skin.*

²⁵ Anxiety in the heart* of a man will weigh him down, but a good word will cheer him.

¹³ A heart* of gladness will make good _⌊countenance_⌋,* but in sorrow of heart* a spirit is broken.

¹⁴ The spirit of a man will endure his sickness, but a broken spirit, who may bear it?

⁷ Go—eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart! For God already has approved your deeds. ⁸ Always be clothed in white garments, and never let your head lack oil! ⁹ Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which he gives you under the sun, because this is your lot in life and in the toil with which you toil under the sun.

² through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we* know that affliction produces patient endurance, ⁴ and patient endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

⁷ So then, you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow this person should be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

¹⁰ For grief according to the will of God brings about a repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death.

³ Here I am! Testify against me before Yahweh and before his anointed one! Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, that I may shut my eyes _⌊regarding_⌋* him?-then I will restore it to you."

⁸ The bribe is a stone of magic in the eyes of its owner;* _⌊everywhere_⌋* he will turn, he will prosper.

¹⁶ The gift of a person will open doors for him, and before the great, it gives him access.

¹² They take a bribe among* you in order to shed blood; and you take usury, and you make gain from your neighbors by extortion, and so you have forgotten me, _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

¹¹ Its rulers judge for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money. But they lean on Yahweh, saying, "Is not Yahweh in our midst? Disaster will not come upon us."

¹⁰ And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹ And when* they heard this,* they were delighted, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking* how he could betray him conveniently.

³⁷ Turn away my eyes from looking at what is worthless; revive me in your ways.

¹⁴ The heart of him who understands will seek knowledge, but the faces of fools, they* will feed on folly.

⁵ Your eyes will _⌊alight_⌋* on it, but there is nothing to it, for suddenly it will make for itself wings like an eagle and it will be exhausted in the heavens.

¹⁴ _⌊The wise man can see where he is walking_⌋,* but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that both of them suffer the same fate.

⁹ _⌊Better to be content with what your eyes see than for your soul to constantly crave more_⌋.* This also is vanity and chasing wind!

¹ Who is like the sage? Who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

¹⁷ If anyone wants to do his will, he will know about my* teaching, whether it is from God or I am speaking from myself.

¹⁶ because everything that is in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of material possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.

¹ It happened afterwards that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David fell in love with her. ² And Amnon _⌊was so frustrated that he felt ill_⌋* because of Tamar his sister, because she was a virgin, and it was too difficult in Amnon's eyes to do anything with her. ³ Now Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David. (Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.) ⁴ And he said to him, "Why are you so sullen _⌊every morning_⌋,* O son of the king? Will you not tell me?" And Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom." ⁵ Then Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and appear ill. If your father comes to see you, you shall say to him, 'Please let Tamar my sister come and give me food to eat, and let her prepare the food before my eyes, in order that I may see it and eat from her hand.'" ⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill, and the king came to see him. Amnon said to the king, "Please let Tamar my sister come, and let her bake two cakes before my eyes that I may eat from her hand." ⁷ So David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, "Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare food for him." ⁸ Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother. Now he was lying down, and she took the dough and kneaded it and made cakes before his eyes, and she baked the cakes. ⁹ Then she took the pan and poured it out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, "Let all the men go out from me." So all the men went out from him. ¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food to the private room that I may eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them to Amnon her brother in* the private room. ¹¹ When she brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister!" ¹² Then Tamar said to him, "No, my brother! Do not force me, for such a thing has not been done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! ¹³ As for me, where should I take my disgrace? You will be as one of the fools in Israel. So please, speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you." ¹⁴ But he was not willing to listen to her voice. He was stronger than she, and he forced her and lay with her. ¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her _⌊very deeply_⌋,* for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. So Amnon said to her, "Get up and go." ¹⁶ She said to him, "No, because this evil in sending me away is greater than the other you have done to me." But he was not willing to listen to her. ¹⁷ Then he called his young man who was serving him and said, "Please send this woman from me to the outside, and bolt the door behind her!" ¹⁸ Now there was a long-sleeved robe on her, for so they clothed the daughters of the king who were virgins, in robes. His servant put her outside, and he bolted the door behind her. ¹⁹ Tamar put ashes on her head, and she tore the long-sleeved robe which was on her. She put her hand on her head, and _⌊she went away, crying out as she went_⌋.* ²⁰ Absalom her brother said to her, "Was Amnon your brother with you? But now, my sister, be quiet; he is your brother. _⌊Do not take this matter to heart_⌋."* So Tamar remained a desolate woman in the house of Absalom her brother. ²¹ Now King David heard all these things, and _⌊he became very angry_⌋.* ²² Absalom did not speak with Amnon _⌊either bad or good_⌋,* for Absalom hated Amnon _⌊over the matter when_⌋* he raped Tamar his sister.

¹⁸ So I hated all my toil with which I have toiled under the sun, for I must leave it behind to someone who will be after me. ¹⁹ And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will exercise control of all the fruit of my toil with which I toiled wisely under the sun. This also is vanity!

²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to kill the righteous with the wicked, that* the righteous would be as the wicked! Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do justice?"

²³ When Joab and all the army that was with him came, they told Joab, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away, and he left in peace." ²⁴ Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Abner came here to you? Why have you dismissed him that he _⌊actually went away_⌋?* ²⁵ You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you. He came to learn about your going out and coming in and to know all which you are doing."

³⁹ I am weak today even though anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are crueler than I am. May Yahweh pay them back for doing wickedness according to their own wickedness."

⁷ Shimei said while cursing him, "Go out, go out, you _⌊man of bloodshed_⌋,* you _⌊man of wickedness_⌋.* ⁸ Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the household of Saul _⌊whom you have supplanted as king_⌋,* and Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you are in disaster for you are a man of blood."

⁷ So then, get up and go out and _⌊speak kindly to your servants_⌋,* for I swear by Yahweh, if you do not go out, no man will lodge this night with you, and this disaster will be greater for you than any disaster that has come upon you from your childhood until now!"

¹⁸ the one who says to a king, 'You worthless man,' to noblemen, 'You wicked man,' ¹⁹ who _⌊shows no partiality to officials_⌋* and who _⌊does not take note of the noble more than of the insignificant_⌋,* for all of them are the work of his hands?

¹⁵ He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, the two of them are both abominations of Yahweh.

¹ * Now muster troops, O daughter of troops; a siege he puts against us. They strike the ruler of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

²² Now when* he had said these things, one of the officers who was standing by gave a slap in the face to Jesus, saying, "Do you reply to the high priest in this way?"

¹⁹ In many words, transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.

²⁸ A heart* of righteousness will ponder the answer, but a mouth of wickedness will pour out deceit.

¹⁷ The words of the wise are heard in peace more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among the fools.

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers: every person must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual,* able to hold in check his whole body also.

¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among* those who make peace.

⁵ _⌊O that_⌋* you* would keep completely silent, and that it would become wisdom for you.*

² The tongue of the wise will dispense knowledge, but the mouth of fools will pour out folly.

³ For a dream comes with many cares, and the voice of a fool with many words.

³ Even when the fool walks along the road, he lacks sense; he tells everyone that he is a fool.

¹⁴ The fool _⌊talks too much_⌋,* for no one knows what will be. Who can tell anyone what will happen _⌊in the future_⌋?*