Old Testament
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
New Testament
Proverbs 24
241Do not envy evil people,
and do not wish to be with them,
2because their hearts plan violence,
and their lips speak trouble.
3With wisdom a house is built.
With understanding it is established.
4With knowledge its rooms are filled with every kind of riches,
both valuable and appealing.
5A wise person grows strong,
and a knowledgeable man becomes more powerful,
6because advice prepares you for battle,
and many advisors bring victory.
8Whoever plans evil will be called a master schemer.
9A foolish scheme is a sin,
and a mocker is disgusting to people.
10If you fail to act in the day of trouble,
your strength is too little.
11Rescue captives condemned to death,
and spare those staggering toward slaughter.
12If you say, “We did not know about this,”
won't the one who weighs motives notice?
Won't the one who guards your life know about it,
and won't he repay people according to what each one has done?
13My son, eat honey, because it is good.
Flowing honey is sweet on your palate.
14Know also that wisdom is sweet for your soul.
If you find it, then there is a future for you,
and your hope will never be cut off.
15Do not be like the wicked who attack the home of the righteous.
Do not destroy his resting place,
16because a righteous person may fall seven times, but he will get up,
while wicked people will stumble into misfortune.
17Do not be happy when your enemy falls.
Do not let your heart celebrate when he stumbles.
18If you do, the Lord will see it and consider it evil,
and he will turn his anger away from him.
19Do not fret about evildoers.
Do not be jealous of wicked people,
20because an evil person has no future.
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21Fear the Lord, my son, and also the king.
Do not associate with those who are rebellious,
22because their disaster will take place suddenly.
Who knows what ruin the Lord and the king will cause?
More Words of the Wise
23These sayings also are by the wise:
To show partiality when administering justice is not good.
24If anyone says to a guilty person, “You are innocent,”
people will curse him. Nations will denounce him.
25However, it will be pleasant for those who convict the guilty.
A wonderful blessing will come upon them.
26Someone who gives a straight answer gives a kiss on the lips.
27Prepare your work outside,
and get things ready for yourself in the fields.
Afterward, build your house.
28Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause.
Do not practice deception with your lips.
29Do not think, “I will do to him what he did to me.
I will pay the man back for what he did.”
30I passed by a lazy man's field
and by a vineyard that belonged to a senseless man.
31It was overgrown with thistles
and covered with weeds.
Its stone wall was broken down.
32When I saw this, I took it to heart.
I observed and learned a lesson:
33A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
34and poverty will come on you like a prowler,
and scarcity will come like a warrior.