Proverbs 23 Cross References - LEB

¹ When you sit to eat with a ruler, you shall surely observe what is before you, ² and you shall put a knife to your throat if you have a _⌊big appetite_⌋.* ³ Do not desire his delicacies, for* it is food of deception. ⁴ Do not tire in order to become rich; out of your understanding, may you desist. 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. ⁶ Do not eat the bread of _⌊the stingy_⌋,* and do not desire his delicacies. ⁷ For, like hair in his _⌊throat_⌋,* so it is.* "Eat and drink!" he will say to you, but his heart will not be with you. ⁸ Your morsel you have eaten, you will vomit it up, and you will waste your pleasant words. ⁹ In the ears of a fool do not speak, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. ¹⁰ Do not remove an ancient boundary marker, and on the fields of orphans do not encroach; ¹¹ For their redeemer is strong, he himself will plead their cause against you. ¹² Apply your heart* to instruction, and your ear to sayings of knowledge. ¹³ Do not withhold discipline from a child, if you will beat him with the rod, he will not die. ¹⁴ As for you, with the rod you shall beat him, and his life* you will save from Sheol.* 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. ¹⁷ May your heart* not envy the sinners, but live in fear of Yahweh _⌊all day_⌋.* ¹⁸ _⌊Surely_⌋* there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. ¹⁹ You, my child, hear and be wise, and direct your heart* on the road. ²⁰ Do not be among drinkers of wine, among gluttonous eaters of _⌊their meat_⌋.* ²¹ For the drunkard and gluttonous, they will become poor, and with rags, drowsiness will clothe them. ²² Listen to your father—he who _⌊gave you life_⌋,* and do not despise your mother when* she is old. ²³ Buy truth and do not sell it, wisdom and instruction and understanding. ²⁴ The father of the righteous will surely rejoice; he who bears a wise person will be happy with him. ²⁵ May your father and your mother be glad, and may she who bore you rejoice. ²⁶ My child, may you give your heart* to me, and may your eyes delight in my ways. ²⁷ For a deep pit is a prostitute,* and a narrow well is _⌊an adulteress_⌋.* ²⁸ She is also like a robber lying in wait, and the faithless among mankind she increases. ²⁹ To whom is woe? To whom is sorrow? To whom are quarrels? To whom is complaint? To whom are wounds without cause? To whom is redness of the eyes? ³⁰ To those who linger over wine, to those who come to try mixed wine. ³¹ Do not look at wine when it is red, when it _⌊sparkles_⌋* on the cup, going down smoothly. ³² _⌊In the end_⌋,* it will bite like a serpent, and it will sting like an adder. ³³ Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart* will speak perverse things. ³⁴ And you will be like him who lies down in the heart of the sea, and like him who lies down on top of a mast. ³⁵ "They struck me; I was not hurt. They beat me; I did not know it. When I will awake, I will continue; I will seek it again."

³² And they served him* by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, for Egyptians _⌊could not dine_⌋* with Hebrews, because that was a detestable thing to Egyptians. ³³ And they were seated before him from the firstborn according to his birthright to the youngest according to his youth. And the men _⌊looked at one another_⌋* amazed. ³⁴ And portions were served to them from _⌊his table_⌋,* and the portion of Benjamin was five times greater than the portion of any of them. And they drank and became drunk with him.

¹² These are the ones feasting together without reverence, hidden reefs at your love feasts, caring for themselves, waterless clouds carried away by winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted,

⁸ And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it* from you! It is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than, having two hands or two feet, to be thrown into the eternal fire! ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it* from you! It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than, having two eyes, to be thrown into fiery hell!

²⁷ But I discipline my body and subjugate it, lest somehow after* preaching to others, I myself should become disqualified.

¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose God is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, the ones who think on earthly things.

⁴ Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked deeds with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.

⁶ Do not eat the bread of _⌊the stingy_⌋,* and do not desire his delicacies.

⁸ Now _⌊Daniel resolved_⌋* that he would not defile himself with the fine food of the king, and with _⌊the wine that he drank_⌋,* and so he requested from the commander of the court officials permission so that he would not defile himself.

³⁴ "But take care for yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of daily life, and that day come upon you suddenly

²² that you take off, according to your former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful desires,

⁵ _⌊Trust Yahweh_⌋* with all your heart; do not lean toward your own understanding.

⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear Yahweh and retreat from evil.

²⁷ He who makes trouble for his house is he who is greedy for unjust gain, but he who hates bribes will live.

¹² Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²⁰ A man of faithfulness has abundant blessings, but he who hurries to become rich will not go unpunished.

²¹ Ah! Those who are wise in their own eyes and have understanding _⌊in their view_⌋!*

¹⁹ "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and consuming insect* destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

²⁷ Do not work for the food that perishes, but the food that remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has set his seal on this one."

²⁵ For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you will not be wise _⌊in your own sight_⌋,* that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,

¹⁶ Think the same thing toward one another; _⌊do not think arrogantly_⌋*, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise _⌊in your own sight_⌋*.

⁸ But if we* have food and clothing, with these things we will be content. ⁹ But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge those people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all evil, by which some, because they* desire it, have gone astray from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.

⁵ Your lifestyle must be free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For he himself has said, "I will never desert you, and I will never abandon you."*

³⁶ And Jacob their father said to them, "You have bereaved me—Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and Benjamin you would take! All of this is against me!

¹⁴ And a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding _⌊beside them_⌋.* ¹⁵ Then* the Sabeans _⌊attacked_⌋,* and they took them, and they slew the servants _⌊by the edge of the sword_⌋.* But* I escaped, even I alone, to tell you." ¹⁶ While this one was still speaking, _⌊another_⌋* came and said, "The fire of God fell from the heavens, and it blazed up against the sheep and goats and against the servants, and it consumed them. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you." ¹⁷ While this one was still speaking, _⌊another_⌋* came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three divisions, and they made a raid on the camels, and they carried them away, and they struck your servants _⌊by the edge of the sword_⌋,* but I escaped, even I alone, to tell you."

⁶ Surely a man walks about as a mere _⌊shadow_⌋;* surely in vain they bustle about. He heaps up possessions but does not know who will gather them in.

³⁶ Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to dishonest gain. ³⁷ Turn away my eyes from looking at what is worthless; revive me in your ways.

²⁴ For riches are not forever, nor a crown for generation after generation.

² "Vanity of vanities!" says the Teacher,* "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!"

¹³ There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth _⌊hoarded_⌋* by its owner to his harm. ¹⁴ That wealth was lost in a bad venture. Although he has borne a child, _⌊he has nothing to leave to him_⌋.*

⁸ "Vanity of vanity!" says the Teacher.* "Everything is vanity!"

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.

¹⁷ "But there is nothing in your eyes and your heart _⌊except_⌋* your unlawful gain, and on shedding the blood of the innocent, and on committing oppression and extortion."

²⁹ But I say this, brothers: the time is shortened, that from now on even those who have wives should be as if they do not have wives, ³⁰ and those who weep as if they do not weep, and those who rejoice as if they do not rejoice, and those who buy as if they do not possess, ³¹ and those who make use of the world as if they do not make full use of it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all things richly for enjoyment,

¹ Come now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming upon you! ² Your wealth has rotted, and your clothing has become moth-eaten.

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.

⁹ _⌊Take care_⌋* so that there* will not be _⌊a thought of wickedness_⌋* in your heart, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'The seventh year, the year of the remission of debt is near,' _⌊and you view your needy neighbor with hostility_⌋,* and so you do not give to him, and he might cry out against you to Yahweh, and _⌊you would incur guilt against yourself_⌋.*

⁵⁶ The most refined and the most delicate woman among you, who shall* not venture to put the sole of her foot on the ground from being so delicate and from such gentleness, _⌊shall be mean to her beloved husband_⌋* and against her son and against her daughter,

⁹ He who _⌊is generous_⌋* will be blessed, for he gives to the poor from his own bread.

³ Do not desire his delicacies, for* it is food of deception.

²² He who hurries for wealth is _⌊a man with an evil eye_⌋,* but he does not know that poverty will come upon him.

⁸ Now _⌊Daniel resolved_⌋* that he would not defile himself with the fine food of the king, and with _⌊the wine that he drank_⌋,* and so he requested from the commander of the court officials permission so that he would not defile himself. ⁹ And God* gave Daniel favor and compassion _⌊before_⌋* the commander of the court officials, ¹⁰ and the commander of the court officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord, the king, who has determined your food and your drink, for _⌊why should_⌋* he see your face having a worse appearance than the young men who _⌊are your age_⌋?* Then you will endanger my head with the king."

¹⁵ Is it not* permitted for me to do whatever I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am generous?'

²² adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, _⌊envy_⌋,* abusive speech, pride, foolishness.

¹⁵ And she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me how your strength is so great."

²⁶ So Absalom said, "But will you not let Amnon my brother go with us?" And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?" ²⁷ But Absalom pressed him, so he sent Amnon with him and all of the sons of the king. ²⁸ Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "Please watch. At the moment the heart of Amnon is _⌊tipsy_⌋* with wine, then I shall say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' and you shall kill him! Don't be afraid. Is it not I myself who has commanded you? Be courageous and be _⌊valiant!_⌋*

² They speak falseness _⌊to each other_⌋.* With flattering lips, with _⌊a double heart_⌋* they speak.

²¹ The _⌊buttery words_⌋* of his mouth were smooth, but there was battle in his heart. His words were smoother than oil, but they were drawn swords.

²² The craving of a man is his steadfast loyalty, and it is better to be poor than a _⌊liar_⌋.*

²⁷ _⌊And two of the kings_⌋* _⌊will bend their hearts_⌋* to evil. And at the _⌊same table_⌋* they will speak lies, but what is discussed will not succeed, for still an end is coming at the appointed time.

³ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming!" ⁴ And knowing* their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

³⁹ Now when* the Pharisee who invited him saw this,* he spoke to himself, saying, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner."

³⁷ And as he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him _⌊to have a meal_⌋* with him, and he went in and* reclined at table. ³⁸ And the Pharisee, when he* saw it,* was astonished that he did not first wash before the meal. ³⁹ But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inside is full of greediness and wickedness. ⁴⁰ Fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But give as charitable giving the things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. ⁴² "But woe to you, Pharisees, because you pay a tenth of mint and rue and every garden herb, and neglect justice and love for God! But it was necessary to do these things without neglecting those things also. ⁴³ Woe to you, Pharisees, because you love the best seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces! ⁴⁴ Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, and the people who walk over them* do not know it!* ⁴⁵ And one of the legal experts answered and* said to him, "Teacher, when you* say these things, you insult us also!" ⁴⁶ So he said, "Woe to you also, legal experts, because you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers! ⁴⁷ Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them! ⁴⁸ As a result you are witnesses, and you approve of the deeds of your fathers, because they killed them and you build their tombs!* ⁴⁹ For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' ⁵⁰ so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the temple building.* Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation! ⁵² Woe to you, legal experts, because you have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering!" ⁵³ And when* he departed from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly hostile, and to question him closely about many things, ⁵⁴ plotting to catch him with reference to something _⌊he might say_⌋.*

⁷ Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction, fools despise.

⁷ He who corrects a scoffer gains abuse for himself, and he who rebukes the wicked _⌊gets hurt_⌋.* ⁸ Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke the wise and he will love you.

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly lest you become like him—even you. ⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly, or else he will be wise in his own eyes.

²¹ But* they were silent and did not answer him a word, for the command of the king was, "You must not answer him."

⁶ "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls in front of pigs, lest they trample them with their feet, and turn around and* tear you to pieces.

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.

⁵² The Jews* said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died, and you say, 'If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death _⌊forever_⌋.'*

³⁰ The man answered and said to them, "For the remarkable thing is this, that you do not know where he is from, and he opened my eyes! ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if someone is devout and does his will, he listens to this one. ³² From _⌊time immemorial_⌋* it has not been heard that someone opened the eyes of one born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything!" ³⁴ They answered and said to him, "You were born completely in sin, and are you attempting to teach* us?" And they threw him out.

⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, "We are not also blind, are we?"*

²⁰ And many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is out of his mind! Why do you listen to him?"

⁴⁵ But when* the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting what was being said by Paul by* reviling him.* 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!

¹⁸ And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But others said,* "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

³² Now when they* heard about the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed, but others said, "We will hear you about this again also."

²⁵ So being in disagreement with one another, they began to leave after* Paul made one statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through the prophet Isaiah to your fathers, 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." '* ²⁸ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles. They also will listen!"*

²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. ²² For indeed, Jews ask for sign miracles and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a cause for stumbling, but to the Gentiles foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

¹⁰ We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are prudent in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, but we are dishonored! ¹¹ Until the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty and poorly clothed and roughly treated and homeless, ¹² and we toil, working with our own hands. When we are* reviled, we bless; when we are* persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when we are* slandered, we encourage. We have become like the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things, until now.

¹⁴ "You shall not move the boundary marker of your neighbor that _⌊former generations_⌋* set up on your property in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you to take possession of it.

¹⁷ 'Cursed be the one who moves the boundary marker of his neighbor.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²⁷ Even over the orphan you would cast the lot, and you would bargain over your friend.

⁹ You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of orphans were crushed.

² They* remove border stones; they seize flocks, and they pasture them. ³ They drive away the donkey of orphans; they take the widow's ox as a pledge.

⁹ "They* snatch the orphan from the breast, and they take a pledge against the needy.*

²¹ if I have raised my hand against an orphan because I saw my supporters at the gate, ²² then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket. ²³ Indeed, the disaster from God was a dread for me, and _⌊I was powerless_⌋* because of his majesty.

⁶ They kill widow and stranger, and they murder orphans,

²⁸ Do not remove an ancient boundary marker which your ancestors* made.

⁵ For if you truly make your ways and your deeds good, if you truly do justice between a man and his neighbor,

³ Thus says Yahweh, "Act with justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been seized from the hand of the oppressor. And you must not oppress the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow. And you must not shed innocent blood in this place.

¹⁰ You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the needy. You must not devise evil in your heart _⌊against one another_⌋.'*

⁵ "Then I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers, and against those who swear _⌊falsely_⌋,* and against the oppressors of the hired worker with his wages, the widow and the orphan, and _⌊the abusers of_⌋* the alien,* and yet do not fear me," says Yahweh of hosts.

²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our* God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

²² " 'You will not afflict any widow or orphan. ²³ If you indeed afflict him, yes, if he cries out at all to me, I will certainly hear his cry of distress. ²⁴ And _⌊I will become angry_⌋,* and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans.

¹⁹ 'Cursed be the one who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²⁵ But* I myself* know that my redeemer is alive, and at the last he will stand up upon _⌊the earth_⌋.*

⁵ "Because of the oppression of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the poor, now I will rise up," Yahweh says. "I shall put them in the safety for which they* long."

²³ For Yahweh will plead their case and despoil those who despoil them of life.*

³³ Thus says Yahweh of hosts:
"The people* of Israel are oppressed, and the people* of Judah likewise, _⌊for_⌋* all their captors have seized them, they refuse to let them go free. ³⁴ Their redeemer is strong, his name is Yahweh of hosts. Surely he will plead their case, in order to make peace for the earth, but to cause unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.

³⁶ _⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says Yahweh,
"Look, I am going to contend your case, and I will avenge your vengeance, and I will cause her sea to dry up, and I will cause her fountain to dry up.

² in order to incline your ear toward wisdom, then you shall apply your heart to understanding. ³ For if you cry out for understanding,* if you lift* your voice for insight, ⁴ if you seek her like silver and search her out _⌊like treasure_⌋,* ⁵ then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and the knowledge of God you will find. ⁶ For Yahweh will give wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

¹ My child, be attentive to my wisdom, and to my understanding incline your ear; ² in order to keep prudence, and knowledge will guard your lips.

¹⁷ Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise; you shall apply your heart* to my teaching.

¹⁹ You, my child, hear and be wise, and direct your heart* on the road.

³¹ And they come to you _⌊as people do_⌋,* and they sit _⌊before you_⌋,* and my people hear your words, and they do not do them, for they are showing* passion in their mouth, but their heart is going after ill-gotten gain.

⁵² And he said to them, "For this reason every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of the house who brings out of his storeroom new things and old things."

²¹ Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome* with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the message and not hearers only,* deceiving yourselves, ²³ because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone* staring at _⌊his own face_⌋* in a mirror, ²⁴ for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed _⌊in what he does_⌋*.

²⁴ He who withholds his rod hates his child, but he who loves him _⌊gives him_⌋* discipline.

¹⁸ Discipline your child, for there is hope, but on his destruction do not set your desire.*

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

¹⁷ Discipline your children, and they will give you rest, and they will give delight to your soul.*

¹⁵ Folly is bound up in the heart* of a boy;* the rod of discipline will drive it* from him.

⁵ I have decided* to hand over such a person to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, in order that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

³² But if we* are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined, in order that we will not be condemned with the world.

¹⁰ My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

¹ My child, if you will receive* my sayings, and hide my commands with you,

¹ Children, listen to the instruction of a father, and be attentive in order to know insight.

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.

²⁴ The father of the righteous will surely rejoice; he who bears a wise person will be happy with him. ²⁵ May your father and your mother be glad, and may she who bore you rejoice.

³ A man who loves wisdom will make his parents glad, but the friend of prostitutes* will squander his wealth.

⁴¹ And I will rejoice over them to do good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness with all my heart, and with all my inner self."*

¹⁷ Yahweh your God is in your midst; a mighty warrior who saves. He shall rejoice over you with joy; he renews* you in his love; he will exult over you with singing.

² And behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher, and when* Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Have courage, child, your sins are forgiven."

²³ And bring the fattened calf—kill it* and let us eat and* celebrate, ²⁴ because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

³² But it was necessary to celebrate and to rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive, and was lost, and is found!'"

¹¹ I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete.

⁵ So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish to eat, do you?* They answered him, "No."

¹⁹ For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.

⁸ because now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. ⁹ For what thanks can we repay to God concerning you, because of all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God,

¹ My little children, I am writing these things to you in order that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one,

⁴ _⌊I was very glad_⌋* because I found some of your children walking in the truth, just as _⌊the Father commanded us_⌋*.

³ For I rejoiced exceedingly when the* brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are walking in the truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than this: that I hear my children are walking in the truth.

⁶ Listen! For noble things I will speak, and upright things from the opening of my lips.

²⁹ _⌊No rotten word must proceed_⌋* from your mouth, but only something good for the building up of the need, in order that it may give grace to those who hear,

⁴ and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving.

⁴ so that I may reveal* it, as it is necessary for me to speak.

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.

¹ Of David.*
Do not fret because of evildoers; do not be envious of doers of wickedness. ² For like the grass they will dry up quickly, and like green vegetation they will wither. ³ Trust Yahweh and do good. Abide in the land and feed on faithfulness.*

³ because I envied the boastful when I saw the well-being* of the wicked. ⁴ For there are no pains up to their death, and their bodies are _⌊healthy_⌋.* ⁵ They do not have _⌊ordinary trouble_⌋,* and they are not plagued as other people.* ⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace; an outfit of violence covers them. ⁷ Their eye bulges from fat.* Imaginings overflow their heart.

¹⁰ The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; all who do them* have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.

³¹ Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways,

¹⁶ Better is little with the fear of Yahweh than great treasure and trouble with it.*

¹ Do not envy men of evil, and do not desire to be with them.

¹⁴ Happy is the person who fears continuously, but he who is stubborn of heart,* will fall into calamity.

⁷ For with many dreams come vanities and numerous words. Therefore, fear God!

¹³ Now that all has been heard, here is the final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

³¹ Then the church throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being strengthened. And living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it was increasing in numbers.*

¹ Therefore since we* have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, accomplishing holiness in the fear of God.

¹⁷ And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's work, conduct yourselves with fear during the time of your temporary residence,

¹⁸ for the needy shall not always be forgotten; the hope of the poor shall never perish.

³⁷ Observe the blameless and look at the upright, for there is a future for a man of peace.

¹⁴ Thus know wisdom for the sake of your soul,* if you find it, then there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

²⁰ For there will not be a future for the evil; the lamp of the wicked will die out.

¹¹ For I know the plans that I am planning concerning you,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'plans for prosperity and not for harm, to give to you a future and a hope.

²⁵ But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.

²¹ Therefore what sort of fruit did you have then, about which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now, having been set free from sin and having been enslaved to God, you have your fruit leading to sanctification, and its end is eternal life.

²⁰ according to my eager expectation and hope, that I will be put to shame in nothing, but with all boldness, even now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether through life or through death.

³⁵ Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward.

¹⁰ Listen, my child, take my sayings, and the years of your life shall be great. ¹¹ In the way of wisdom I have instructed you; I have led you in the path of uprightness. ¹² _⌊When you walk_⌋,* your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. ¹³ Seize the instruction! Do not let go! Guard her, for she is your life. ¹⁴ In the path of the wicked do not go; do not walk in the way of those who do evil. ¹⁵ Avoid it; do not transgress it; turn away from it and pass by. ¹⁶ For they will not sleep if they have not done wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep if they do not cause stumbling. ¹⁷ For they ate the bread of wickedness, and they drank the wine of violence. ¹⁸ But the path of the righteous ones is like the light of dawn, leading and shining until the day _⌊is full_⌋.* ¹⁹ The way of the wicked ones is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over. ²⁰ My child, be attentive to my words; to my sayings incline your ear. ²¹ May they not escape from your _⌊sight_⌋;* keep them in the midst of your heart. ²² For they are life to those who find them and healing _⌊to the entire body_⌋.* ²³ With all vigilance, keep your heart, for from it comes the source* of life.

⁶ Go to the ant, lazy! Consider its ways and be wise.

⁶ Lay aside simplicity and live; walk in the way of understanding."

¹² Apply your heart* to instruction, and your ear to sayings of knowledge.

²⁶ My child, may you give your heart* to me, and may your eyes delight in my ways.

¹ Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and any who go astray by it are not wise.

²⁹ To whom is woe? To whom is sorrow? To whom are quarrels? To whom is complaint? To whom are wounds without cause? To whom is redness of the eyes? ³⁰ To those who linger over wine, to those who come to try mixed wine. ³¹ Do not look at wine when it is red, when it _⌊sparkles_⌋* on the cup, going down smoothly. ³² _⌊In the end_⌋,* it will bite like a serpent, and it will sting like an adder. ³³ Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart* will speak perverse things. ³⁴ And you will be like him who lies down in the heart of the sea, and like him who lies down on top of a mast. ³⁵ "They struck me; I was not hurt. They beat me; I did not know it. When I will awake, I will continue; I will seek it again."

⁷ He who keeps instruction is a child of understanding, but the companion of gluttons will shame his father.

⁶ Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those _⌊in bitter distress_⌋.* ⁷ He will drink and forget his poverty, and his misery he will not remember any more.

¹¹ Ah! Those who rise early in the morning, they pursue strong drink. Those who linger in the evening, wine inflames them.

²² Ah! Heroes at drinking wine, and men of capability at mixing strong drink!

¹³ But look! Joy and gladness, the killing of oxen* and the slaughtering of sheep, the eating of meat and the drinking of wine! "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

⁴⁹ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards,

¹³ And after not many days, the younger son gathered everything and* went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth by* living wastefully.

¹⁹ "Now a certain man was rich, and dressed in purple cloth and fine linen, feasting sumptuously every day.

¹³ Let us live decently, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy.

¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine (in which is dissipation), but be filled by the Spirit,

³ For the time that has passed was sufficient _⌊to do what the Gentiles desire to do_⌋*, having lived in licentiousness, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries, ⁴ with respect to which they are surprised when* you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and so they* revile you.

²⁰ and they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This our son is stubborn and rebellious; _⌊he does not obey us_⌋,* and he is a glutton and a drunkard.'

⁹ How long will you lie down, lazy? When will you rise up from your sleep? ¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest— ¹¹ like a _⌊robber_⌋* shall your poverty come, and what you lack like an armed man.

¹⁵ Laziness will bring on a deep sleep, and a person* of idleness will suffer hunger.

¹⁷ A man of want is he who loves pleasure; he who loves wine and oil* will not become rich.

³⁰ I passed by the field of a lazy person, and over the vineyard of a person lacking _⌊sense_⌋;* ³¹ and behold, it was overgrown—all of it was covered with thorns, its surface with nettles, and _⌊its stone wall_⌋* was broken down. ³² Then I myself saw and my heart* considered; I looked, and I took hold of instruction: ³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest, ³⁴ and your poverty will come running, and your lack like an armed warrior.

¹ Ah! The garland of the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim and the withering flower of the glory of his beauty, which is at the head of _⌊the rich valley_⌋,* _⌊ones overcome_⌋* with wine! ² Look! The Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a rainstorm of hail, a wind storm of destruction, like a rainstorm of mighty overflowing waters, he will put them to the earth with his hand. ³ The garland of the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled* by feet,

⁵ Wake up, drunkards, and weep! Wail, all drinkers of wine, over the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth.

¹¹ But now I have written to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is a sexually immoral person or a greedy person or an idolater or an abusive person or a drunkard or a swindler—with such a person not even to eat.

¹⁰ nor thieves, nor greedy persons, not drunkards, not abusive persons, not swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, things which I am telling you in advance, just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

³ Each of you must revere your mother* and your father,* and you* must keep my Sabbaths; I am Yahweh your* God.

¹⁸ "_⌊If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son_⌋* who _⌊does not listen to_⌋* the voice of his father and to the voice of his mother, and they discipline him, and he does not obey* them, ¹⁹ then his father and his mother shall take hold of him, and they shall bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his _⌊town_⌋,* ²⁰ and they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This our son is stubborn and rebellious; _⌊he does not obey us_⌋,* and he is a glutton and a drunkard.' ²¹ Then all the men of his city shall stone him with stones and let him die; and so you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all of Israel will hear, and they will fear.

¹⁶ 'Cursed be the one who dishonors his father or his mother.' And all of the people shall say, 'Amen.'

⁸ My child, may you keep* your father's instruction, and do not reject your mother's teachings,

²⁰ My child, keep the commandment of your father, and do not disregard the instruction of your mother.

¹¹ There is a generation that will curse its father, and its mother it will not bless.

¹⁷ The eye that mocks a father and scorns the obedience of a mother— the ravens of the valley will peck it out, and the offspring of vultures will eat it.

⁴ For God said, 'Honor your* father and your* mother,'* and 'The one who speaks evil of father or mother _⌊must certainly die_⌋*.'* ⁵ But you say, 'Whoever says to his* father or his* mother, "Whatever _⌊benefit you would have received_⌋* from me is a gift to God," ⁶ need not honor his father,'* and you make void the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

¹⁰ For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,'* and, 'The one who speaks evil of father or mother _⌊must certainly die_⌋*.'*

²⁶ So Jesus, seeing his* mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, said to his* mother, "Woman, behold your son!" ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

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

¹² "But* from where will wisdom be found? And _⌊where in the world_⌋* is the place of understanding? ¹³ A human being does not know its proper value, and it is not found in the land of the living. ¹⁴ The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.' ¹⁵ "Refined gold cannot be gotten in its place, and silver cannot be weighed out as its price. ¹⁶ It cannot be bought for the gold of Ophir, for precious onyx or* sapphire. ¹⁷ Gold and glass cannot be compared with it, and its substitution cannot be an ornament of refined gold. ¹⁸ Black corals and crystal will not be mentioned, and wisdom's price is more than red corals. ¹⁹ The topaz of Cush cannot be compared with it; it cannot be bought for pure gold.

⁷² The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver coins.

¹²⁷ Therefore I love your commands more than gold, even fine gold.

² in order to incline your ear toward wisdom, then you shall apply your heart to understanding. ³ For if you cry out for understanding,* if you lift* your voice for insight, ⁴ if you seek her like silver and search her out _⌊like treasure_⌋,*

⁵ Get wisdom and insight; do not forget and do not turn from the sayings of my mouth. ⁶ Do not forsake her—then she will guard you; love her and she will keep you. ⁷ The beginning of wisdom: Get wisdom! With all that is in your possession, gain insight.

¹⁶ Getting wisdom: _⌊how much_⌋* better than gold! And getting understanding: it is chosen _⌊over_⌋* silver.

¹⁶ Why is this? A price in the hand of a fool, in order to buy wisdom where* there is no _⌊sense_⌋.*

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

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!

⁴⁴ "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found and* concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.

⁴⁶ And when he* found one very valuable pearl, he went and* sold everything that he possessed and purchased it.

²⁶ For what will a person be benefited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life?

²³ except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in town after town, saying that bonds and persecutions await me.

⁷ But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have considered loss because of Christ. ⁸ _⌊More than that_⌋*, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them* dung, in order that I may gain Christ

²⁶ considering _⌊reproach endured for the sake of Christ_⌋* greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

¹⁸ I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire, in order that you may become rich, and white clothing, in order that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and eye salve to smear on your eyes, in order that you may see.

¹¹ And they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives until death.

⁴⁸ What is more, the king said, 'May Yahweh the God of Israel be blessed, who has given this day one sitting on my throne, and my eyes are seeing it!'"

¹ The days of David came near for him to die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, ² "I am about to go the way of all the world. Be strong and be _⌊courageous_⌋.* ³ You shall keep the charge of Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies, as are written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and everywhere you turn,

⁹ So then, do not leave him unpunished, for you are a wise man, and you will know what you must do to him. You must bring his grey hair down to Sheol with blood."

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.

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!

⁹ instead I appeal to you because of love, since I* am such a one as Paul, now an old man and also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

²⁰ Yes, brother, I ought to have some benefit of you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

⁹ And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." ¹⁰ And Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would surely bless me and enlarge my border. And may your hand be with me, that you would keep me from evil so that it might not harm me!" And God granted what he asked.

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

³¹ And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. ³² This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. ³³ And he will reign over the house of Jacob _⌊forever_⌋,* and of his kingdom there will be no end.

⁴⁰ and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² And she cried out with a loud shout and said,
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!" ⁴⁶ And Mary said,
"My soul exalts the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,

⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that _⌊the Lord had shown his great mercy to her_⌋,* and they rejoiced with her.

²⁷ Now it happened that as he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and* said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!" ²⁸ But he said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it!"*

⁵ And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart* and with all of your soul* and with all of your might.

⁴³ Whoever is wise, then let him observe these things, and let them consider Yahweh's acts of loyal love.

² Blessed are those who keep his testimonies; they seek him with a whole heart.

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure? By taking heed according to your word. ¹⁰ With my whole heart I have sought you; do not let me stray from your commands. ¹¹ In my heart I have hidden your word,* so that I may not sin against you.

¹ My child, do not forget my instruction, and may your heart guard my commands.

⁴ he taught me and said to me, "May your heart hold fast to my words; guard my commandments and live.

²³ With all vigilance, keep your heart, for from it comes the source* of life.

²⁵ May your eyes look forward* and your gaze be straight before you. ²⁶ May the path of your foot be balanced and all your ways be sure. ²⁷ Do not swerve right or left; remove your foot from evil.

⁹ Who is wise that he can understand these things? Who is discerning that he knows them? The ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous walk in them; but transgressors stumble in them.

³⁷ The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

²⁶ "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, _⌊he cannot be_⌋* my disciple.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, because we* have concluded this: that one died for all; as a result all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, in order that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

⁵ and not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by the will of God.

¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (you having been firmly rooted and established in love),

¹⁹ and we possess as more reliable the prophetic word, to which you do well if you* pay attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

¹⁴ A deep pit is the mouth of an _⌊adulteress_⌋,* he with whom Yahweh is angry will fall there.

¹ When Israel dwelled in Shittim, the people began to prostitute* themselves with the daughters of Moab.

⁴ After this he fell in love with a woman in the wadi* of Sorek, and her name was Delilah. ⁵ And the rulers of the Philistines came up to her and said, "Entice him and find out what makes his strength so great, and how we can overpower him, so that we may bind him up in order to subdue him; each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. ⁶ So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me what makes your strength so great, and with what can you be tied up to subdue you?" ⁷ Samson said to her, "If you tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that are not dried up, I will become weak like everyone else." ⁸ So the rulers of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that were not dried up, and she tied him up with them. ⁹ The ambush was sitting in wait for her in an inner room. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you Samson!" And he snapped the bowstrings just as flax fiber snaps when it comes close to fire. And the secret of his strength remained unknown. ¹⁰ Delilah said to Samson, "Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you can be bound." ¹¹ He said to her, "If they tie me tightly with new ropes that have not been used, I will become weak and be like everyone else." ¹² So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them, and she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" (The ambush was sitting in an inner room.) But he snapped them from his arms like thread. ¹³ And Delilah said to Samson, "Until now you have mocked me and told lies to me. Tell me how you can be bound." And he said to her, "If you weave seven locks of my head with warp-threads."* ¹⁴ She fastened it with the pin and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And Samson woke up from his sleep and tore loose the loom pin of the web and the warp-threads.* ¹⁵ And she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me how your strength is so great." ¹⁶ And because she nagged him day after day with her words, and pestered him, _⌊his soul grew impatient to the point of death_⌋.* ¹⁷ So _⌊he confided everything to her_⌋,* and he said to her, "A razor _⌊has never touched_⌋* my head, for I am a _⌊Nazirite of God_⌋* _⌊from birth_⌋.* If I am shaved my strength will leave me, and I will become weak, like everyone else. ¹⁸ Delilah realized that _⌊he had confided in her_⌋,* so she sent and called the rulers of the Philistines, saying, "Come up one more time, for _⌊he has confided in me_⌋."* And the rulers of the Philistines came up, and they brought the money _⌊with them_⌋.* ¹⁹ And she put him to sleep on her lap; then she called the men* and shaved off seven locks of his head. Then she began to subdue him,* and his strength went away from him. ²⁰ And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he woke up from his sleep and said, "I will go out just like every other time and shake myself free," but he did not know that Yahweh had left him. ²¹ And the Philistines seized him, gouged his eyes, and brought him to Gaza. They tied him up with bronze shackles, and he became a grinder _⌊in the prison_⌋.* ²² But the hair of his head began to grow back after it had been shaved off.

¹⁶ in order to deliver you from a strange woman, from a foreign woman who flatters* with her sayings, ¹⁷ she who forsakes the partner of her youth and has forgotten the covenant of her God, ¹⁸ for her house sinks to death, and to the dead* are her paths. ¹⁹ Of all who go to her, none shall return, nor do they reach paths of life.

¹² Now in the street, now in the square, _⌊at_⌋* every corner she lies in wait.

²² He goes after her suddenly; like an ox to the slaughter he goes, and like a stag to the instruction of a fool, ²³ until an arrow pierces his _⌊entrails_⌋,* like a bird rushing into a snare, but he does not know that _⌊it will cost him his life_⌋.* ²⁴ And now, my children, listen to me, and be attentive to the sayings of my mouth. ²⁵ May your heart not turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her path. ²⁶ For many slain she has laid low, and countless* are all of her killings. ²⁷ The ways of Sheol* are her house, descending to chambers of death.

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

²⁶ I myself found that more bitter than death is the woman who is a trap, whose heart is a snare, and whose hands are bonds. The one who pleases God escapes from her, but the sinner is caught by her.

² "Lift up your eyes at the barren heights, and see where you have not been ravished. Beside the roads you sat for them like an Arab in the desert,* and you have defiled the land with your fornication and with your wickedness.

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

⁸ nor commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day,

¹ And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who live on the earth became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality."

¹² The eyes are darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk.

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.

²⁸ Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "Please watch. At the moment the heart of Amnon is _⌊tipsy_⌋* with wine, then I shall say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' and you shall kill him! Don't be afraid. Is it not I myself who has commanded you? Be courageous and be _⌊valiant!_⌋*

¹⁶ They went out at noon while Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the tents, he and the thirty-two kings helping him. ¹⁷ Then the servants of the commanders of the provinces went out first, and Ben-Hadad sent, and they reported to him, saying, "Men have come out from Samaria." ¹⁸ Then he said, "If they have come out for peace, seize them alive; and if they have come out for war, seize them alive." ¹⁹ But these had come out from the city, the servants of the commanders of the provinces, and the army that was after them. ²⁰ Each man killed his man, and the Arameans fled, so Israel pursued them, but Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with cavalry. ²¹ The king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and the chariots and defeated Aram with a great blow. ²² Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and he said to him, "Go, strengthen yourself; _⌊consider well_⌋* what you should do, for the king of Aram is coming against you at the turn of the year."

²¹ For the drunkard and gluttonous, they will become poor, and with rags, drowsiness will clothe them.

⁷ And these also stagger because of wine and stagger because of strong drink; priest and prophet stagger because of strong drink; they are confused* because of wine. They stagger because of strong drink; they err in vision. They stagger in the rendering of a decision, ⁸ for all the tables are full of disgusting vomit, _⌊with no place left_⌋.*

¹⁰ For like entangled thorns, and like their drink which is drunk, they will be consumed like fully dry chaff.

⁴⁹ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know,

⁴⁵ But if that slave should say _⌊to himself_⌋,* 'My master is taking a long time to return,' and he begins to beat the male slaves and the female slaves and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two and assign his place with the unbelievers.

²¹ And he drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he exposed himself in the midst of his tent.

⁸ For there is a cup in the hand of Yahweh with* wine that foams, fully mixed, and he pours out from this. Surely all the wicked of the land _⌊will quaff it down to its dregs_⌋. *

² She has slaughtered her slaughtering, mixed her wine, and also set her table.

⁶ Alas for those who drink from sprinkling bowls of wine and anoint themselves with the best of olive oils and are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.

² It happened _⌊late one afternoon_⌋* that David got up from his bed and walked about on the roof of the king's house, and he saw a woman bathing on her* roof. Now the woman _⌊was very beautiful_⌋.*

¹ "But now, please hear my speeches,* Job, and hear* all my words.

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

²⁵ Do not desire her beauty in your heart; may she not capture you with her eyelashes.

²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your members be destroyed than your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your limbs be destroyed than your whole body go into hell.

⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than, having two eyes, to be thrown into hell,

⁵ And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring the _⌊Israelites_⌋* out from their midst." ⁶ And Moses and Aaron did it; as Yahweh commanded them, so they did.

¹² Each threw down his staff, and they became snakes, and Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

¹⁶ He will suck the poison of horned vipers; the viper's tongue will kill him.

¹¹ and you groan at your end, when your flesh and body are consumed,

⁸ Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. Whoever breaks through a wall, a snake will bite him.

³ The garland of the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled* by feet,

⁵ they hatch viper eggs, and they weave a spider web. One who eats their eggs dies, and that which is pressed is hatched as a serpent.

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_⌋?*

¹⁷ For look, I am letting loose among you snakes, adders for which there is no incantation, and they will bite you," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

¹⁹ It will be as if a man fled from a lion and a bear met him; or he went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall and a snake bit him.

³ And even if they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search and will take them, and even if they hide from before my eyes at the bottom of the sea, from there I will command the sea serpent and it will bite them.

²⁵ But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain. ²⁶ And in addition to all these things, a great chasm has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross over from here to you are not able to do so,* nor can they cross over from there to us.'

²¹ Therefore what sort of fruit did you have then, about which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

³² Come, let us give our father wine to drink and let us lie with him* that _⌊we may secure descendants through our father_⌋."* ³³ And they gave their father wine to drink that night, and the firstborn went and lay with her father, but he did not know when she lay down or when she got up. ³⁴ And it happened that, the next day the firstborn said to the younger one, "Look, I laid with my father last night. Let us give him wine to drink also tonight, then go and lie with him that _⌊we may secure descendants through our father_⌋."* ³⁵ And they gave their father wine to drink again that night, and the younger got up and lay with him, but he did not know when she lay down or when she got up. ³⁶ And the two daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. ³⁷ The firstborn gave birth to a son, and she called his name Moab. He is the father of Moab until this day. ³⁸ And the younger, she also gave birth to a son, and she called his name Ben-Ammi. He is the father of the _⌊Ammonites_⌋* until this day.

¹² Those sitting at the gate talk about me as also* the songs of the drunkards.

¹² in order to deliver you from the way of evil,* from a man who speaks devious things—

⁵ Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed, and he will pervert the rights* of all the _⌊afflicted_⌋.*

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

⁵ On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine;* he stretched out his hand with mockers.

¹² These are the ones feasting together without reverence, hidden reefs at your love feasts, caring for themselves, waterless clouds carried away by winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted, ¹³ wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shameful deeds, wandering stars, for whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.

⁸ And by the breath of your nostrils waters were piled up; waves stood like a heap; deep waters in the middle of the sea congealed.

³³ And blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you who have prevented me this day from bloodguilt and from delivering myself by my own hand. ³⁴ But _⌊as Yahweh lives_⌋,* the God of Israel who has prevented me from harming you, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, surely there would not have been _⌊one male_⌋* left alive for Nabal by the light of morning!" 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_⌋."* 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.

¹⁶ So he took him down, and _⌊there they were_⌋,* spread out over the surface of all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all of the abundant plunder which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷ Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped _⌊except_⌋* four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.

⁹ His servant Zimri the commander of half of the chariots conspired against him. Now he had been in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza who was over the palace in Tirzah.

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

²⁷ they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. ²⁹ But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all.

² for you yourselves well know that the day of the Lord is coming in the same way as a thief in the night. ³ Whenever they say "Peace and security," then sudden destruction will overtake them like the birth pains of _⌊a pregnant woman_⌋*, and they will not possibly escape. ⁴ But you, brothers, are not in the darkness, so that the day should catch you like a thief, ⁵ for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶ So then, we must not sleep like the rest, but must be on the alert and be self-controlled. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.

¹⁹ And then when he hears the words of this oath, then* _⌊he will assure himself_⌋* in his heart, _⌊saying_⌋,* '_⌊Safety shall be mine even though I go in the stubbornness of my heart_⌋,'* thereby destroying the well-watered land along with the parched.*

¹¹ Like a dog returning to his vomit is a fool reverting to his folly.

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.

¹² "Come, let me take wine, and let us carouse with intoxicating drink, and tomorrow will be like today, _⌊very great indeed_⌋."*

³ O Yahweh, do not your eyes look for honesty? You have struck them, but they felt no pain, you have destroyed them, they refused to take discipline. They have hardened their faces more than rock, they have refused to turn back.

¹⁸ Indeed I heard Ephraim pitying themselves, 'You disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like a calf that is not trained. Bring me back and let me return, for you are Yahweh my God.

³² If according to a human perspective I fought wild beasts at Ephesus, what benefit is it to me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.* ³³ Do not be deceived! "Bad company corrupts good morals."* ³⁴ Sober up correctly and _⌊stop sinning_⌋*, for some have no knowledge of God—I say this to your shame.

¹⁹ who, becoming callous, gave themselves over to licentiousness, for the pursuit of all uncleanness in greediness.

²² The statement of the true proverb has happened to them, "A dog returns to its own vomit,"* and "A sow, after* washing herself, returns* to wallowing in the mud."*