Proverbs 15 Cross References - MSB

¹ A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. ² The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly. ³ The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good. ⁴ A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. ⁵ A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction is prudent. ⁶ The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble. ⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the hearts of fools. ⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. ⁹ The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue righteousness. ¹⁰ Discipline is harsh for him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die. ¹¹ Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD—how much more the hearts of men! ¹² A mocker does not love to be reproved, nor will he consult the wise. ¹³ A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit. ¹⁴ A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. ¹⁵ All the days of the oppressed are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. ¹⁶ Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil. ¹⁷ Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred. ¹⁸ A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute. ¹⁹ The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. ²⁰ A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother. ²¹ Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding walks a straight path. ²² Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. ²³ A man takes joy in a fitting reply—and how good is a timely word! ²⁴ The path of life leads upward for the wise, that he may avoid going down to Sheol. ²⁵ The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but He protects the boundaries of the widow. ²⁶ The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but the words of the pure are pleasant to Him. ²⁷ He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live. ²⁸ The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil. ²⁹ The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. ³⁰ The light of the eyes cheers the heart, and good news nourishes the bones. ³¹ He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. ³² He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. ³³ The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

¹ Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently. ² But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? ³ God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.

³ When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to fight against me?” ⁴ Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.” ⁵ The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,” ⁶ they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.

¹⁰ But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters. ¹¹ Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?” ¹² So David’s men turned around and went back, and they relayed to him all these words. ¹³ And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men put on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

²¹ Now David had just finished saying, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good. ²² May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.” ²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him. ²⁴ She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant. ²⁵ My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent. ²⁶ Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal. ²⁷ Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you. ²⁸ Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling. ³⁰ When the LORD has done for my lord all the good He promised, and when He has appointed you ruler over Israel, ³¹ then my lord will have no remorse or guilt of conscience over needless bloodshed and revenge. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your maidservant.” ³² Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day! ³³ Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.

⁴³ “We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel.

¹³ And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders ¹⁴ and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. ¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,

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

¹⁸ A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.

¹⁵ Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

²⁵ A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

²² An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

¹ For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies.” A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song. My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

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

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

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

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

²⁸ The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.

²³ The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

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

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.

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.

⁹ For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”

⁴ Does He not see my ways and count my every step?

²¹ For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step. ²² There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.

²¹ For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.

¹⁷ For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.

²⁴ “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.

¹⁹ the One great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are on all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

²² Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...” ²³ Therefore the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴ So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life.

² Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit. ³ You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah ⁴ You love every word that devours, O deceitful tongue.

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

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.

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

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

⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.

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

²² The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.

² “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.

³ If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching,

⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.

²³ “Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people. ²⁴ No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people. ²⁵ If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.

¹ Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him. ² He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,” ³ Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.” ⁴ And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.” ⁵ Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him. ⁶ Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

¹¹ Now, my son, may the LORD be with you, and may you succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as He said you would. ¹² Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the Law of the LORD your God. ¹³ Then you will succeed, if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

⁹ As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

²⁰ David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

⁵ Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.

²³ If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.

²³ For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,

¹ The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

¹ A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

¹⁸ Poverty and shame come to him who ignores discipline, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

³¹ He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. ³² He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

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

¹² Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sternly, so that they will be sound in the faith

¹⁵ Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

¹⁹ For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build. ²⁰ Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure. ²¹ Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure. ²² In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him. ²³ When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.

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

³ Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

²¹ bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

²² The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.

²² A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.

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.

²⁰ Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.

⁶ Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.

¹⁰ He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. ¹¹ When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes? ¹² The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep. ¹³ There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, ¹⁴ or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.

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

¹ Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. ² Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

² You are the most handsome of men; grace has anointed your lips, since God has blessed you forever.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You. ¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. ¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

¹⁵ My mouth will declare Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot know their full measure. ¹⁶ I will enter in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will proclaim Your righteousness—Yours alone. ¹⁷ O God, You have taught me from my youth, and to this day I proclaim Your marvelous deeds. ¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.

² I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning, ³ that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us. ⁴ We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might, and the wonders He has performed. ⁵ For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, ⁶ that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children

¹³ With my lips I proclaim all the judgments of Your mouth.

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.

⁹ Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.

¹¹ Your lips, my bride, drip sweetness like the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the aroma of Lebanon.

²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

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

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

¹⁵ And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.”

¹⁴ How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? ¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of peace, who bring good news of good things!” ¹⁶ But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

¹⁸ I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, ¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. ²⁰ In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. ²¹ Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”

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

² And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.

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.

¹⁷ I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.

¹ A prayer of David. Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer—it comes from lips free of deceit.

²⁹ The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with ill intent!

⁹ Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.

¹ Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

¹⁴ O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.

¹⁰ Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! ¹¹ “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. ¹² When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? ¹³ Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me—your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations. I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ¹⁴ I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. ¹⁵ When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

⁸ For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity; in My faithfulness I will give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them.

³ Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.

²⁰ What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”

²¹ This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! ²² For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, ²³ but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

²¹ “I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. ²² Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard.

²⁴ God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

⁶ For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

⁸ the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous. ⁹ The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.

¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.

⁴ Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the guides of the wicked—are sin.

⁸ The way of a guilty man is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

²¹ He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion finds life, righteousness, and honor.

⁷ The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.

¹ “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn.

⁷ Listen to Me, you who know what is right, you people with My law in your hearts: Do not fear the scorn of men; do not be broken by their insults.

⁴ Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets again and again, saying: ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate.’

³ So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.

¹³ Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

¹³ Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

²² Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

²⁰ When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

⁸ The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.

³⁰ They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.

¹² and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!

¹⁷ Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.

¹ Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

³⁵ “They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?”

⁵ Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. ⁶ From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.

¹³ Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided. ¹⁴ I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.

⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”

³⁰ be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts of men—

⁶ Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.

⁹ Put an end to the evil of the wicked, but establish the righteous, O righteous God who searches hearts and minds.

²¹ would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?

⁸ If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

²⁰ Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

¹⁰ I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

²⁴ But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.

¹⁷ Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” “Lord, You know all things,” he replied. “You know I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

¹⁸ the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever. Amen. And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.

²³ Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

⁷ The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.

¹⁴ Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your 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.

¹⁰ There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity.

¹⁸ Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”

³ For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.

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

²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart of a man, but a good word cheers it up.

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.

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.

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

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

¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

⁶ Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. ⁷ And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. ⁹ Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” ¹⁰ Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— ¹² behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you.

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love Your law! All day long it is my meditation.

¹⁰⁰ I discern more than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.

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

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

¹⁵ The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out.

¹⁰ They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.

²⁰ He feeds on ashes. His deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

¹ Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; he multiplies lies and violence; he makes a covenant with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.

¹¹ Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

³⁵ All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.

⁹ “My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”

⁷ For we are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your wrath. ⁸ You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. ⁹ For all our days decline in Your fury; we finish our years with a sigh.

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

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

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

¹¹ Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials ⁷ so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, honor, and glory, at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not known Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

¹³ But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.

⁶ Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

¹⁰ Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. ¹¹ Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

¹⁸ I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. ¹⁹ And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. ²⁰ So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. ²¹ When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil. ²² For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun? ²³ Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.

¹⁰ He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. ¹¹ When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes? ¹² The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

⁶ Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.

¹ A song of ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! ² It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes. ³ It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore.

¹ Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.

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

⁴ Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

¹⁶ And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

²⁴ She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant. ²⁵ My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent. ²⁶ Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal. ²⁷ Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you. ²⁸ Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling. ³⁰ When the LORD has done for my lord all the good He promised, and when He has appointed you ruler over Israel, ³¹ then my lord will have no remorse or guilt of conscience over needless bloodshed and revenge. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your maidservant.” ³² Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day! ³³ Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand. ³⁴ Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.” ³⁵ Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, “Go home in peace. See, I have heeded your voice and granted your request.” ³⁶ When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light. ³⁷ In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him and he became like a stone. ³⁸ About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead. ³⁹ On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking for her in marriage. ⁴⁰ When his servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said, “David has sent us to take you as his wife.” ⁴¹ She arose, then bowed facedown and said, “Here is your maidservant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” ⁴² So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife. ⁴³ David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So she and Abigail were both his wives. ⁴⁴ But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

⁴³ “We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel.

²⁹ A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.

¹ A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

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

²¹ Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

⁴ If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.

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

¹ In those days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Grecian Jews among them began to grumble against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. ² So the Twelve summoned all the disciples and said, “It is unacceptable for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. ³ Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them ⁴ and will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, as well as Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

¹⁹ So then, my beloved brothers, everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, ²⁰ for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.

¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.

¹ Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept. ² All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³ Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

⁷ and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land. ⁸ If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us. ⁹ Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!”

⁸ Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make straight Your way before me.

⁸ Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way. ⁹ He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.

¹² Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him.

¹¹ Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path, because of my oppressors.

⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

⁹ They are all plain to the discerning, and upright to those who find knowledge.

⁵ Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them.

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

¹³ The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”

²¹ And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

⁸ And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.

¹⁴ And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

¹² Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

³ Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

⁴⁸ saying, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel! Today He has provided one to sit on my throne, and my eyes have seen it.’”

⁹ Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You know what you ought to do to him to bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood.”

⁷ When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD this day! He has given David a wise son over this great people!”

¹⁵ My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice. ¹⁶ My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

²² Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

³ A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

¹⁷ As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.

²² But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.

²⁸ And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!

²³ The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.

¹² Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment, but a man of understanding remains silent.

⁹ Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright.

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

¹⁸ Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows, ¹⁹ so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

¹⁵ Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

¹⁴ For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with many counselors comes deliverance.

¹⁸ Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.

⁶ For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.

¹⁴ By fruitful speech a man is filled with good things, and the work of his hands returns to him.

¹³ Righteous lips are a king’s delight, and he who speaks honestly is beloved.

²⁶ An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.

¹ To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

¹¹ You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.

¹⁸ For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.

⁵ Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol.

²⁷ Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.

⁸ Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

¹⁴ Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.

⁸ Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

¹ Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

¹⁷ For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe. ¹⁸ He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.

¹⁴ You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

¹¹ Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low. ¹² Look on every proud man and humble him; trample the wicked where they stand. ¹³ Bury them together in the dust; imprison them in the grave.

¹ For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long.

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

⁵ A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation. ⁶ God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

⁶ Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.

⁹ The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.

⁷ The wicked are overthrown and perish, but the house of the righteous will stand.

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

¹⁰ Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

¹² For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled—

²⁰ But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.

²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

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

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. ³¹ The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.

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, ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil, ¹⁹ a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

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

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

³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. ³⁶ But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

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

²¹ Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

⁸ Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

²⁶ And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction.

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

¹⁸ But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.

¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions. ¹² This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.

²⁴ Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor. ²⁵ “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.

³ But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice. ⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

²⁷ Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

¹⁹ Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

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

²⁹ He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

²¹ An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end.

¹⁶ A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.

⁴ By justice a king brings stability to the land, but a man who exacts tribute demolishes it.

⁸ Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land. ⁹ I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left unoccupied. ¹⁰ For ten acres of vineyard will yield but a bath of wine, and a homer of seed only an ephah of grain.”

¹⁵ He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil— ¹⁶ he will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge; his food will be provided and his water assured.

¹¹ Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

⁹ Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! ¹⁰ You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. ¹¹ For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork.

³ Then he told me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of all the land, for according to one side of the scroll, every thief will be removed; and according to the other side, every perjurer will be removed. ⁴ I will send it out, declares the LORD of Hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by My name. It will remain inside his house and destroy it, down to its timbers and stones.”

²³ Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’” ²⁴ The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword, ²⁵ and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” ²⁶ Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!” ²⁷ Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.” ²⁸ When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

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

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

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

²⁰ Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

² Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.

⁶ Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?

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?

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

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

¹⁵ But in your hearts sanctify the God Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,

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.

¹ Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide in times of trouble?

⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but He did not answer.

¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry. ¹⁶ But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth. ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸ If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. ¹⁹ But God has surely heard; He has attended to the sound of my prayer.

²⁷ Those far from You will surely perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.

¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth. ¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.

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

⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. ⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

⁴⁶ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. ²⁷ And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.

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.”

⁸ But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.

¹⁵ Blessed are those who know the joyful sound, who walk, O LORD, in the light of Your presence.

⁸ This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

⁹ The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

²⁵ Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

⁷ Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

¹¹ The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: ¹¹ Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! ¹² And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men!” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After they had seen the Child, they spread widely the message they had received about Him. ¹⁸ And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.

⁵ There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.

⁸ Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. ⁹ Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.

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

⁵ A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction is prudent.

³ Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.

³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.

¹⁸ If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined,

²⁰ and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”

¹⁷ For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.

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

²⁴ Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, ²⁵ because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction, ²⁶ in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you, ²⁷ when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you. ²⁸ Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me. ²⁹ For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. ³⁰ They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. ³¹ So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. ³² For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. ³³ But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”

¹¹ At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent, 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.

³³ Listen to instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. ³⁴ Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway. ³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD. ³⁶ But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

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

²¹ Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding walks a straight path.

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

¹ A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.

⁵ Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.

³ O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

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!”

¹⁵ See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.

²² Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

¹⁹ Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.

¹¹ Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹³ To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

¹² Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

⁶ Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men; ⁷ for it is better that he says to you, “Come up here!” than that you should be demoted in the presence of the prince. Even what you have seen with your own eyes,

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

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

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.