Proverbs 12 Cross References - MSB

¹ Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. ² The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil. ³ A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted. ⁴ A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones. ⁵ The plans of the righteous are just, but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit. ⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. ⁷ The wicked are overthrown and perish, but the house of the righteous will stand. ⁸ A man is praised according to his wisdom, but a twisted mind is despised. ⁹ Better to be lightly esteemed yet have a servant, than to be self-important but lack food. ¹⁰ A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty. ¹¹ The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks judgment. ¹² The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes. ¹³ An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble. ¹⁴ By fruitful speech a man is filled with good things, and the work of his hands returns to him. ¹⁵ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel. ¹⁶ A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. ¹⁷ He who speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit. ¹⁸ Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. ¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. ²⁰ Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil, but the counselors of peace have joy. ²¹ No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. ²² Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight. ²³ A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself, but a foolish heart proclaims its folly. ²⁴ The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor. ²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart of a man, but a good word cheers it up. ²⁶ A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the ways of the wicked lead them astray. ²⁷ A lazy man does not roast his game, but a diligent man prizes his possession. ²⁸ There is life in the path of righteousness, but another path leads to death.

⁹ Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding; they must be controlled with bit and bridle to make them come to you.

⁶ A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand,

²⁷ Make clear to me the way of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders.

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love Your law! All day long it is my meditation. ⁹⁸ Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me. ⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. ¹⁰⁰ I discern more than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.

¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul. ¹¹ Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,

¹² and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! ¹³ I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.

¹⁷ I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.

³² Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.

⁷ He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself. ⁸ Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

¹⁰ Discipline is harsh for him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.

¹ He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.

³ The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”

¹⁰ and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

⁵ It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.

³¹ So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,

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

⁸ As no man has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has authority over his day of death. As no one can be discharged in wartime, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

⁵ No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected. ⁶ For a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink. ⁷ The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.

²⁴ Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

³³ Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.

³ I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. ⁴ His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender. ⁵ The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.

²⁹ He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.

⁵ the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary? ⁶ Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, ⁷ he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’ ⁸ He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night. ⁹ The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.

¹⁶ Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay, ¹⁷ what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent. ¹⁸ The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman.

⁵ who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

¹ A song of ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever. ² As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.

²⁵ When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.

¹² The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.

¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love,

⁷ rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

¹ Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

³⁰ A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

¹³ A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping. ¹⁴ Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

⁹ Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

¹⁹ Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

¹⁵ A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike— ¹⁶ restraining her is like holding back the wind or grasping oil with one’s right hand.

¹⁰ A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. ¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. ¹² She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life. ¹³ She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. ¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. ¹⁵ She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants. ¹⁶ She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. ¹⁷ She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong. ¹⁸ She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night. ¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. ²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. ²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet. ²² She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple. ²³ Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land. ²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants. ²⁵ Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come.

¹⁶ I heard and trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Decay entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Yet I must wait patiently for the day of distress to come upon the people who invade us.

⁷ A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.

¹¹ In the Lord, however, man is not independent of woman, nor is woman independent of man.

² They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart. ³ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.

² For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin. ³ The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and well-doing. ⁴ Even on his bed he plots wickedness; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he fails to reject evil.

⁶ My visitor speaks falsehood; he gathers slander in his heart; he goes out and spreads it abroad. ⁷ All who hate me whisper against me; they imagine the worst for me:

¹⁵ I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.

¹ For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men. Protect me from men of violence, ² who devise evil in their hearts and stir up war all day long. ³ They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah

²³ The desire of the righteous leads only to good, but the hope of the wicked brings wrath.

⁹ A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.

⁷ Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

¹⁴ Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?

³ When Herod the King heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ⁶ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’” ⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”

¹⁶ When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi.

⁴ and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.

⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

² Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

¹ Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. ² I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king ³ and bring all the people back to you as a bride returning to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be at peace.” ⁴ This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

⁷ and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury in order to destroy the Jews. ⁸ Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for the destruction of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther, urging her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead before him for her people. ⁹ So Hathach went back and relayed Mordecai’s response to Esther. ¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach and instructed him to tell Mordecai, ¹¹ “All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days.” ¹² When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai, ¹³ he sent back to her this reply: “Do not imagine that because you are in the king’s palace you alone will escape the fate of all the Jews. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

⁴ For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.” ⁵ Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?” ⁶ Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked man—Haman!” And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen.

¹¹ If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause, ¹² let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. ¹³ We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder. ¹⁴ Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”— ¹⁵ my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path. ¹⁶ For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood. ¹⁷ How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it! ¹⁸ But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. ¹⁹ Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

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

⁷ Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.

²⁶ For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.

¹ Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave. ² The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.

¹² When daylight came, some of the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

¹⁵ Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you tomorrow on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”

³ to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

¹⁶ Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.”

²⁶ so that Your name will be magnified forever when it is said, ‘The LORD of Hosts is God over Israel.’ And the house of Your servant David will be established before You.

⁶ In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, ⁷ including Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, ⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, ⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha. ¹⁰ They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

¹⁴ So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.

³ I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. ⁴ His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.

²⁰ But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”

¹⁵ Fire resides in his tent; burning sulfur rains down on his dwelling. ¹⁶ The roots beneath him dry up, and the branches above him wither away. ¹⁷ The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land. ¹⁸ He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world. ¹⁹ He has no offspring or posterity among his people, no survivor where he once lived. ²⁰ Those in the west are appalled at his fate, while those in the east tremble in horror.

¹⁸ The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman. ¹⁹ He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone. ²⁰ Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night. ²¹ The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. ²² It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power. ²³ It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.

²⁵ Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.

¹⁰ Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, ³⁶ yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found. ³⁷ Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace.

¹⁸ Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. ¹⁹ How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!

²¹ Be assured that the wicked will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

²⁵ The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but He protects the boundaries of the widow.

³ By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; ⁴ through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.

²⁴ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them I will liken to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”

³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

¹³ “You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

¹⁸ One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”

³⁰ Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.

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

¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown upon him will gleam.”

²⁶ in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,

³⁵ The wise will inherit honor, but fools are held up to shame.

²³ He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

¹ Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.

² And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

⁸ But you have departed from the way, and your instruction has caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of Hosts. ⁹ “So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”

⁴ “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.” ⁵ So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

⁴² And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

⁸ The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

²³ Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.

¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

⁷ One pretends to be rich, but has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

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

¹³ But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die. ¹⁴ Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

²⁶ Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷ Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed. ²⁸ So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

²⁸ Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” ²⁹ Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” ³⁰ But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied. ³¹ Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown. ³² The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me.

⁴ Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

⁷ Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.

² But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?

³¹ It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other.

¹³ For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

¹⁷ If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

⁴ So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.

⁴ I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites.

² For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.

¹⁴ Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. ¹⁵ Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.

³² He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

⁷ I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,

⁶ Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”

¹³ The woman named Folly is loud; she is naive and knows nothing.

¹⁶ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” she says to him who lacks judgment.

²⁰ He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

²³ Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but without justice it is swept away.

⁴ Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the ox.

²³ There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁷ You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you—food for your household and nourishment for your maidservants.

¹⁹ The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

⁸ Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.

²⁸ He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

¹¹ and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you. ¹² Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

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

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

⁹ He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net.

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

⁵ A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. ⁶ An evil man is caught by his own sin, but a righteous one sings and rejoices.

⁶ In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.

³¹ And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root below and bear fruit above.

²⁶ For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men. ²⁷ Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich. ²⁸ They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

⁷ But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. ⁸ He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.

² The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.

¹⁵ The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly. ¹⁶ Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich. ¹⁷ Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?

¹³ The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away. ¹⁴ The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵ But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.

⁵ I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.

¹⁶ the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”

⁹ But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,

²³ Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.

⁶ You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.

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

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

⁸ The righteous man is delivered from trouble; in his place the wicked man goes in.

² The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.

⁶ A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. ⁷ A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

²³ He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.

¹⁸ It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.

²⁴ At the command of the king, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

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

⁹ if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

⁵ My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.

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

²³ A man takes joy in a fitting reply—and how good is a timely word!

²⁰ From the fruit of his mouth a man’s belly is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. ²¹ Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

¹⁰ Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor. ¹¹ Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.

⁴¹ Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.

⁶ After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷ and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels

² For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment,

²⁶ He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.

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

⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

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

¹² There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

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

² All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.

²⁵ There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

²⁰ Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.

² All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.

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

¹⁶ The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

¹¹ A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man with discernment sees through him.

¹² There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.

¹³ Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.

¹⁵ “If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.” ¹⁶ But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.” ¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive. ¹⁸ But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’” ¹⁹ But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.” ²⁰ “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live. ²¹ But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me: ²² All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’ ²³ All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.” ²⁴ Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die. ²⁵ If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’ ²⁶ then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’” ²⁷ When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation. ²⁸ And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

³ If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

³⁰ Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the disgrace of the mother who bore you? ³¹ For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingship shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!” ³² “Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?” ³³ Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David. ³⁴ Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month, for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David.

¹ Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. ² So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!”

¹² Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.

³³ Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; even among fools she is known.

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

⁹ Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.

²⁸ Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.

¹¹ A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back.

¹⁹ So then, my beloved brothers, everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

¹⁴ Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard who is honored in your house? ¹⁵ Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.”

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

⁵ An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies.

²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is deceitful.

⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.

²⁸ A corrupt witness mocks justice, and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.

²⁸ A lying witness will perish, but the man who listens to truth will speak forever.

²⁸ Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.

¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

⁵⁹ Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death.

¹³ where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemies against this holy place and against the law.

¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you as evildoers may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.

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

⁴ My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts—with men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁷ See what they spew from their mouths—sharp words from their lips: “For who can hear us?”

³ who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,

²² For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.

²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth. ²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.

⁴ A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the hearts of fools.

²⁴ Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

¹⁸ Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

³³ Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.

⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. ⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸ but no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

¹⁶ He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

² down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

⁵ the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?

⁴ You love every word that devours, O deceitful tongue. ⁵ Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish.

⁴ Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Turn now from your evil ways and deeds.’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, declares the LORD. ⁵ Where are your fathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”

³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? ⁴ Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!” ⁵ On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened. ⁶ Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. ⁷ About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened. ⁸ “Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.” ⁹ “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” ¹⁰ At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

²⁴ A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart. ²⁵ When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. ²⁶ Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

⁶ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

¹⁶ But I have not run away from being Your shepherd; I have not desired the day of despair. You know that the utterance of my lips was spoken in Your presence.

¹³ Yes, He will build the temple of the LORD; He will be clothed in splendor and will sit on His throne and rule. And He will be a priest on His throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two.’

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

²¹ For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, adultery, sexual immorality, murder, theft, ²² greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.

¹⁴ “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?” ¹⁵ But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to inspect.” ¹⁶ So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered. ¹⁷ Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, sexual immorality, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,

¹⁴ Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and courteous. ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, knowing that to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. ¹¹ He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. ¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” ¹³ Who can harm you if you are imitators of what is good?

¹⁰ no evil will befall you, no plague will approach your tent.

¹⁴ The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways, but a good man is rewarded for his ways.

¹² Therefore you are to tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Every wineskin shall be filled with wine.’ And when they reply, ‘Don’t we surely know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’ ¹³ then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem. ¹⁴ I will smash them against one another, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no mercy or pity or compassion to keep Me from destroying them.’”

¹⁶ You will be filled with shame instead of glory. You too must drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you, ²³ and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

¹⁷ For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.

¹³ Who can harm you if you are imitators of what is good?

⁶ Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.

¹⁶ There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: ¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

¹ Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.

²⁰ The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the blameless in their walk are His delight.

⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

¹⁵ The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.

²⁴ But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

¹⁹ You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.

²² Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies, even though I have caused them no grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways to save their lives,

⁸ But to the cowardly and unbelieving and sinful and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

¹⁵ But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

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

¹⁹ When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

¹³ A gossip reveals a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.

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

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

¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him. ¹³ The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness. ¹⁴ Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?

¹⁵ He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.

²¹ their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.

²⁸ Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.

²⁰ When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

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

²⁷ A lazy man does not roast his game, but a diligent man prizes his possession.

⁴ The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.

² A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

¹⁵ Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.

²⁵ The craving of the slacker kills him because his hands refuse to work. ²⁶ All day long he covets more, but the righteous give without restraint.

¹³ The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”

²⁹ Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

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

¹³ The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!” ¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed. ¹⁵ The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. ¹⁶ The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

¹ Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, ² so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear

⁶ I am bent and brought low; all day long I go about mourning.

¹¹ Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

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

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

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

¹⁵ All the days of the oppressed are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

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

¹⁴ The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit?

¹¹ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

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

⁴ The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

¹³ So the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.

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

⁴ For through many tears I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to grieve you but to let you know how much I love you. ⁵ Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it. ⁶ The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him. ⁷ So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

³ As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides.

¹² From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced—hailstones and coals of fire. ¹³ The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded—hailstones and coals of fire.

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

²⁷ A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your friends, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your Father in heaven is perfect.

³² If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Therefore be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

¹⁸ Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable. ¹⁹ For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended. ²⁰ How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:

¹⁸ With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. ²⁰ If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. ²¹ It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them. ²² Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

²⁶ I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

⁹ And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

¹⁴ Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived my own people who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

¹⁶ Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.

¹⁶ Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.

⁸ Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.

² and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite.

¹⁵ The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁵ See, I have set before you today life and goodness, as well as death and disaster.

¹¹ For through wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.

¹⁶ The labor of the righteous leads to life, but the gain of the wicked brings punishment.

¹⁹ Genuine righteousness leads to life, but the pursuit of evil brings death.

⁹ He follows My statutes and faithfully keeps My ordinances. That man is righteous; surely he will live, declares the Lord GOD.

²⁰ The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him. ²¹ But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. ²² None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. Because of the righteousness he has practiced, he will live. ²³ Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live? ²⁴ But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and sin he has committed, he will die.

²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹¹ For the saving grace of God has appeared to everyone. ¹² It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

²⁹ If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.

¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.