Proverbs 8 Cross References - ISV

¹ Wisdom Calls for an Audience Isn’t wisdom calling out; isn’t understanding raising her voice? ² On top of the highest places along the road she stands where the roads meet. ³ Beside the gates, at the city entrance— at the entrance to the portals she cries aloud: ⁴ “I’m calling to you, men! What I have to say pertains to all mankind! ⁵ Understand prudence, you naïve people; and gain an understanding heart, you foolish ones. ⁶ Listen, because I have noble things to say, and what I have to say will reveal what is right. ⁷ For my mouth speaks the truth— wickedness is detestable to me. ⁸ Everything I have to say is just; there isn’t anything corrupt or perverse in my speech. ⁹ Everything I say is sensible to someone who understands, and correct to those who have acquired knowledge. ¹⁰ Grab hold of my instruction in lieu of money and knowledge instead of the finest gold, ¹¹ because wisdom is better than precious gems and nothing you desire can compare to it.”
¹² The Way of Wisdom“I, wisdom, am related to prudence. I know how to be discreet. ¹³ The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. Pride, arrogance, an evil lifestyle, and perverted speech I despise. ¹⁴ Counsel belongs to me, along with sound judgment. I am understanding. Power belongs to me. ¹⁵ Kings reign by me, and rulers dispense justice through me. ¹⁶ By me leaders rule, as do noble officials and all who govern justly. ¹⁷ I love those who love me, and those who seek me will find me. ¹⁸ Wealth and honor accompany me, as do enduring wealth and righteousness. ¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, better than even refined gold, and my benefit surpasses the purest silver. ²⁰ I walk on the way of righteousness, along paths that are just, ²¹ I bequeath wealth to those who love me, and I will fill their treasuries.”
²² The Agelessness of Wisdom“The LORD made me as he began his planning, before his ancient activity commenced. ²³ From eternity I was appointed, from the beginning, from before there was land. ²⁴ When there were no ocean depths, I brought them to birth at a time when there were no springs. ²⁵ Before the mountains were shaped, before there were hills, I was bringing them to birth. ²⁶ Even though he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the world’s first grains of dust, ²⁷ when he crafted the heavens, I was there— when he marked out a circle on the face of the deep, ²⁸ when he made the clouds from above, when the springs of the depths were established, ²⁹ when he set a boundary for the sea so the waters would not exceed his limits, when he marked out the foundations of the earth. ³⁰ Then I was with him, his master craftsman— I was his delight daily, continuously rejoicing in his presence, ³¹ rejoicing in his inhabitable world and taking delight in mankind.”
³² The Exhortation of Wisdom“So listen to me, children! Blessed are those who obey me. ³³ Listen to instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it. ³⁴ Blessed is the person who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorways— ³⁵ because those who find me find life and gain favor from the LORD. ³⁶ But whoever sins against me destroys himself; everyone who hates me loves death.”

²⁰ The Benefits of Choosing WisdomWisdom cries out in the street; she raises her voice in the public squares. ²¹ She calls out at the busiest part of the noisy streets, and at the entrance to the gates of the city she utters her words:

¹ Wisdom’s Invitation Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars. ² She has prepared her food, she has spiced her wine, and she also has set her dining table. ³ She has sent out her young women, while calling out from the heights of the city,

¹ The Servant of the LORD “Listen to me, you coastlands! Pay attention, you people from far away! The LORD called me from the womb; while I was still in my mother’s body, he pronounced my name. ² He made my mouth like a sharp sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hands. He made me like a polished arrow and hid me away in his quivers. ³ He said to me: ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will glorify myself.’ ⁴ “I said: ‘I’ve labored for nothing. I’ve exhausted my strength on futility and on emptiness.’ Yet surely my recompense is with the LORD, and my reward is with my God. ⁵ “And now, says the LORD, who formed you from the womb as his servant to bring Jacob back to him so that Israel might be gathered to him— and I am honored in the LORD’s sight and my God has been my help— ⁶ he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Israel and bring back those of Jacob I have preserved. I’ll also make you as a light to the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.

¹ An Invitation to Life “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters! Also, you that have no money, come, buy, and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without price. ² Why spend your money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in rich food. ³ Pay attention to me, come to me; and listen, so that you may live; then I’ll make an everlasting covenant with you, as promised by my faithful, sure love for David.

³ He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said, “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”

¹⁷ From then on, Jesus began to announce, “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!”

¹⁹ Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age.”

¹⁰ But first, the gospel must be proclaimed to all nations.

¹⁵ Then he told them, “As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever doesn’t believe will be condemned.

⁴⁷ and then repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

³⁷ Rivers of Living WaterOn the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!

⁸ But you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you’ll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

²¹ “Then he told me, ‘Go, because I’ll send you far away to the gentiles.’”

¹⁸ For I am bold enough to tell you only about what the Messiah has accomplished through me in bringing gentiles to obedience. By my words and actions, ¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of the Messiah from Jerusalem as far as Illyricum. ²⁰ My one ambition is to proclaim the gospel where the name of the Messiah is not known, so I don’t build on someone else’s foundation. ²¹ Rather, as it is written, “Those who were never told about him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

³ She has sent out her young women, while calling out from the heights of the city,

¹⁴ She sits at the entrance of her house, on a seat high above the city.

⁷ Job Remembers His Respected Position“Whenever I went out to the city gate, a seat had been reserved for me in the plaza.

⁹ So go into the roads leading out of town and invite as many people as you can find to the wedding.’

²¹ “So the servant went back and reported all this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and told his servant, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ ²² The servant said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ ²³ Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the streets and the lanes and make the people come in, so that my house may be full.

²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in the synagogue or in the Temple, where all Jews meet together, and I have said nothing in secret.

²⁰ “Go, stand in the Temple, and keep on telling the people the whole message about this life they can have.”

¹ To the Director: A song by the Sons of Korah.
The Destiny of the Wicked and the Upright Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, all you who live in the world, ² both average people and those of means, the rich and the poor together. ³ My mouth will speak wisely, and I will understand what I think about.

¹ A song of Asaph.
The Acceptable Sacrifice God, the LORD, has spoken. He has summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting place.

¹⁵ Let the person who has ears listen!

¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life.

¹⁹ for through the Messiah, God was reconciling the world to himself by not counting their sins against them. He has committed his message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰ Therefore, we are the Messiah’s representatives, as though God were pleading through us. We plead on the Messiah’s behalf: “Be reconciled to God!”

²³ However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

²⁸ It is he whom we proclaim as we admonish and wisely teach everyone, so that we may present everyone mature in the Messiah.

⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to know the truth fully. ⁵ There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and human beings—a human, the Messiah Jesus. ⁶ He gave himself as a ransom for everyone, the testimony at the proper time.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. ¹² It trains us to renounce ungodly living and worldly passions so that we might live sensible, honest, and godly lives in the present age

¹⁷ Concluding InvitationThe Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
Let everyone who hears this say, “Come!”
Let everyone who is thirsty come!
Let anyone who wants the water of life take it as a gift!

⁷ God’s Revelation in the LawThe Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring life. The testimony of the LORD is steadfast, making foolish people wise.

⁸ Pay attention, you dull ones among the crowds! You fools! Will you ever become wise?

⁴ for giving prudence to the naïve, and knowledge and discretion to the young.

²² “You naïve ones, how long will you love naiveté? And how long will scoffers delight in scoffing or fools hate knowledge?”

⁴ “Let whoever is naïve, turn in here.” To anyone lacking sense, she says,

¹³ The LORD marches out like a warrior; he stirs up his rage like a man of war; he makes his anger heard; he shouts aloud; he declares his mastery over his enemies:

¹⁸ You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan’s control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

²⁸ And God chose what is insignificant in the world, what is despised, what is nothing, in order to destroy what is something,

⁹ You know that wicked people will not inherit the kingdom of God, don’t you? Stop deceiving yourselves! Sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, ¹⁰ thieves, greedy people, drunks, slanderers, and robbers will not inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ That is what some of you were! But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by the Spirit of our God.

¹⁷ You say, “I am rich. I have become wealthy. I don’t need anything.” Yet you don’t realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ Therefore, I advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire so you may be rich, white clothes to wear so your shameful nakedness won’t show, and ointment to put on your eyes so you may see.

¹ Elihu Begins His Discourse “Now please listen to what I have to say, Job. Listen to every word! ² Look! I’ve begun to speak, and I’m fashioning my words. ³ I speak from the innocence of my heart; and my lips will utter what I sincerely know.

⁷ God’s Revelation in the LawThe Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring life. The testimony of the LORD is steadfast, making foolish people wise. ⁸ The precepts of the LORD are upright, making the heart rejoice. The commandment of the LORD is pure, giving light to the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the LORD is clean, standing forever. The judgments of the LORD are true; they are altogether righteous. ¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, even much fine gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the drippings from a honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover your servant is warned by them; and there is great reward in keeping them.

³ My mouth will speak wisely, and I will understand what I think about.

⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. ⁷ He stores up sound wisdom for the upright and is a shield to those who walk in integrity—

² I give you sound teaching, so do not abandon my instruction.

²⁰ Remembering the Counsel of a Wise FatherMy son, pay attention to my words, and listen closely to what I say. ²¹ Do not let them out of your sight; keep them within your heart. ²² For they are life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.

²⁰ Have I not written for you 30 sayings containing counsel and knowledge, ²¹ to teach you true and reliable advice, so you can give truthful answers to those who sent you?

¹⁶ My innermost being will be glad when your lips speak what is right.

² and he began to teach them:
³ The Blessed Attitudes
“How blessed are those who are destitute in spirit, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them! ⁴ “How blessed are those who mourn, because it is they who will be comforted! ⁵ “How blessed are those who are humble, because it is they who will inherit the earth! ⁶ “How blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because it is they who will be satisfied! ⁷ “How blessed are those who are merciful, because it is they who will receive mercy! ⁸ “How blessed are those who are pure in heart, because it is they who will see God! ⁹ “How blessed are those who make peace, because it is they who will be called God’s children! ¹⁰ “How blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!
¹¹ “How blessed are you whenever people insult you, persecute you, and say all sorts of evil things against you falsely because of me! ¹² Rejoice and be extremely glad, because your reward in heaven is great! That’s how they persecuted the prophets who came before you.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying all these things, the crowds were utterly amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he was teaching them like a person who had authority, and not like their scribes.

³⁵ This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet when he said, “I will open my mouth to speak in parables. I will declare what has been hidden since the creation of the world.”

⁶ God’s Spirit Reveals EverythingHowever, when we are among mature people, we do speak a message of wisdom, but not the wisdom of this world or of the rulers of this world, who are passing off the scene. ⁷ Instead, we speak about God’s wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began for our glory.

²⁶ This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints,

⁴ because what I have to say isn’t deceptive, and the one who has perfect knowledge is with you.”

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous one produces wisdom; his tongue speaks justice.

²² Deceitful speech is reprehensible to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

¹² Kings detest wrongdoing, for through righteousness the throne is established.

²⁷ The unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and whoever lives blamelessly is detestable to the wicked.

¹⁷ because while the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus the Messiah.

¹⁴ Jesus answered them, “Even though I’m testifying about myself, my testimony is valid because I know where I’ve come from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going.

⁴⁵ But it is because I speak the truth that you don’t believe me. ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

¹⁷ “Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth.

³⁷ Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born for this, and I came into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is committed to the truth listens to my voice.”

¹⁴ The Letter to the Church in Laodicea“To the messenger of the church in Laodicea, write:
‘The Amen, the witness who is faithful and true, the originator of God’s creation, says this:

⁵ But those who are not his children acted corruptly against him; they are a defective and perverted generation.

⁶ The words of the LORD are pure, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over.

¹³ The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. Pride, arrogance, an evil lifestyle, and perverted speech I despise.

²³ Every Knee will BowBy myself I have sworn— from my mouth has gone out integrity, a promise that won’t be revoked: ‘To me every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear. ’

¹ God’s Day of Vengeance “Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, in garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in such splendor, marching in his great might? It is I, speaking in vindication, mighty to save.

⁴⁶ The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like that!”

⁷ God’s Revelation in the LawThe Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring life. The testimony of the LORD is steadfast, making foolish people wise. ⁸ The precepts of the LORD are upright, making the heart rejoice. The commandment of the LORD is pure, giving light to the eyes.

¹² Who is the man who fears the LORD? God will teach him the path he should choose. ¹³ He will experience good things; his descendants will inherit the earth. ¹⁴ The intimate counsel of the LORD is for those who fear him so they may know his covenant.

⁹⁸ Your commands make me wiser than my adversaries, since they are always with me. ⁹⁹ I am more insightful than my teachers, because your decrees are my meditations. ¹⁰⁰ I have more common sense than the elders, for I observe your precepts.

⁶ A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but learning comes easily to someone who understands.

¹⁴ A discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on stupidity.

²⁴ The way of life leads upward for the wise so he may avoid Sheol below.

²⁴ A person with understanding has wisdom as his objective, but a fool looks only to earthly goals.

¹ How Fools Talk Whoever isolates himself pursues selfish ends; he resists all sound advice. ² A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.

¹⁵ The mind of a discerning person gains knowledge, while the ears of wise people seek out knowledge.

⁸ God’s Holy Highway“A highway will be there—yes, there— and people will call it ‘The Holy Way’. As for unclean people, they will not journey on it, but it will be for whomever is traveling on that Way— not even fools will get lost.

⁷ “It is said, house of Jacob, ‘The Spirit of the LORD is limited, if he acts this way, is he not?’ “But my words benefit those who live righteously, do they not?

¹¹ He answered them, “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom from heaven, but it hasn’t been given to them, ¹² because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn’t have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.

⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, ‘And all of them will be taught by God.’ Everyone who has listened to the Father and has learned anything comes to me.

¹⁷ If anyone wants to do his will, he’ll know whether this teaching is from God or whether I’m speaking on my own.

¹⁴ A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the things of God’s Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He can’t understand them because they are spiritually evaluated. ¹⁵ The spiritual person evaluates everything but is subject to no one else’s evaluation.

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to everyone generously without a rebuke, and it will be given to him.

⁷² Instruction that comes from you is better for me than thousands of gold and silver coins.

¹²⁷ I truly love your commands more than gold, including fine gold.

¹⁶² I find joy at what you have said like one who has discovered a great treasure.

⁴ if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, ⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD and learn to know God.

¹³ Wisdom More Valuable than RichesHow joyful is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding, ¹⁴ because her profit is better than the profit of silver, and her yield than fine gold. ¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her.

¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, better than even refined gold, and my benefit surpasses the purest silver.

²⁰ What the righteous person says is like precious silver; the thoughts of the wicked are compared to small things.

¹⁶ How much better than gaining gold is the acquisition of wisdom, the attainment of wisdom better than silver!

²³ Purchase truth, but don’t sell it; store up wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

¹¹ Wise use of possessions is good; it brings benefit to the living.

⁶ However, Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold, but I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus the Messiah from Nazareth, walk!”

¹⁰ as sorrowful and yet always rejoicing, as poor and yet enriching many, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.

¹⁵ You can’t buy it with gold, and its value cannot be calculated in silver. ¹⁶ It cannot be compared to gold from Ophir, with precious onyx, or with sapphire. ¹⁷ It cannot be compared to gold and fine glass crystal, nor can it be exchanged for gold-plated weaponry. ¹⁸ Don’t even bother to mention coral and crystal— wisdom is more valuable than a bag of rubies. ¹⁹ It can neither be compared with the topaz of Ethiopia nor valued in comparison to pure gold.”

¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, even much fine gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the drippings from a honeycomb.

⁵ Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth! ⁶ Do not abandon her, and she will protect you. Love her, and she will watch over you. ⁷ Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom, and with all your effort work to acquire understanding.

¹⁵ There is an abundance of gold and precious stones, but lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.

²⁶ because what profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?

⁸ What is more, I continue to consider all these things to be a loss for the sake of what is far more valuable, knowing the Messiah Jesus, my Lord. It is because of him that I have experienced the loss of all those things. Indeed, I consider them rubbish in order to gain the Messiah ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but one that comes through the faithfulness of the Messiah, the righteousness that comes from God and that depends on faith.

³ and I’ve filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship ⁴ to create plans for work in gold, silver, and bronze, ⁵ and for cutting stones to set them, for carving wood, and for doing all kinds of craftsmanship. ⁶ Along with him I’m appointing Ahisamach’s son Oholiab from the tribe of Dan, and I’ve given wisdom to all who are skilled so they can make everything that I’ve commanded you,

³⁰ Craftsmen for Building the TentMoses told the Israelis, “Look, the LORD has called Uri’s son Bezalel, grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah,

¹⁴ the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, whose father was from Tyre. A bronze worker, he was wise, knowledgeable, and was skilled in all sorts of bronze working. He went to King Solomon and did all of his work.

¹² and the plans for everything else that he had in mind for the courtyards of the Temple of the LORD. Included were plans for all of the surrounding vaults and treasuries of the Temple of God intended for storage of dedicated gifts,

¹⁹ David Continues His Address“All of these things the LORD made clear to me in writing at his direction—the construction plans for all of the building.”

¹⁴ When the army of Judah turned around to look, they were being attacked from both front and rear, so they cried out to the LORD while the priests sounded their trumpets.

²⁴ How numerous are your works, LORD! You have made them all wisely; the earth is filled with your creations.

²⁶ His God instructs him regarding the correct way, directing him how to plant.

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. ⁹ “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

³³ In Praise of God’s WaysO how deep are God’s riches, and wisdom, and knowledge! How unfathomable are his decisions and unexplainable are his ways!

⁸ that he lavished on us, along with all wisdom and understanding,

¹¹ In the Messiah we were also chosen when we were predestined according to the purpose of the one who does everything that he wills to do,

¹⁰ He did this so that now, through the church, the wisdom of God in all its variety might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm

³ In him are stored all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

³ Don’t continue to talk proudly, and don’t speak arrogantly, for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

⁴ Indeed, you aren’t a God who delights in wickedness; evil will never dwell with you. ⁵ Boastful ones will not stand before you; you hate all those who practice wickedness.

¹⁰ Hate evil, you who love the LORD! He guards the lives of those who love him, delivering them from domination by the wicked.

³ I will not even think about doing anything lawless; I hate to do evil deeds; I will have none of it.

¹⁰⁴ I obtain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.

¹²⁸ I truly consider all of your precepts—all of them—to be just, while I despise every false way.

⁶ Though the LORD is highly exalted, yet he pays attention to those who are lowly regarded, but he is aware of the arrogant from afar.

²⁴ Never talk deceptively and don’t keep company with people whose speech is corrupt.

¹² The Folly of Causing StrifeA worthless man, a wicked man, goes around with devious speech,

¹⁶ What God HatesHere are six things that the LORD hates— seven, in fact, are detestable to him: ¹⁷ Arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, and hands shedding innocent blood; ¹⁸ a heart crafting evil plans, feet running swiftly to wickedness, ¹⁹ a false witness snorting lies, and someone sowing quarrels between brothers.

³¹ The words of the righteous overflow with wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut out.

⁶ Iniquity is atoned for by gracious love and truth, and through fear of the LORD people turn from evil.

¹⁸ Pride precedes destruction; an arrogant spirit appears before a fall.

¹⁵ Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in court— perhaps the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, will be gracious to the survivors of Joseph.’”

¹⁷ don’t plot evil in your heart against a neighbor, and don’t tolerate false testimonies, because I hate all these things,’ declares the LORD.”

⁹ Your love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

²² Keep away from every kind of evil.

¹⁹ However, God’s solid foundation still stands. It has this inscription on it: “The Lord knows those who belong to him,” and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.”

⁵ Be Humble and AlertIn a similar way, you young people must submit to the elders. All of you must clothe yourselves with humility for the sake of each other, because: “God opposes the arrogant, but gives grace to the humble.”

⁵ A wise man is strong, and a knowledgeable man grows in strength.

¹⁹ Wisdom given as strength to a wise person is better than having ten powerful men in the city.

¹⁶ So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless, the wisdom of the poor is rejected—his words are never heard.” ¹⁷ The softly spoken words of the wise are to be heard rather than the shouts of a ruler of fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war, and a single sinner can destroy a lot of good.

⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

¹⁴ With whom did he consult to enlighten and instruct him on the path of justice? Or who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of wisdom?

⁹ This was the true light that enlightens every person by his coming into the world.

²² Though claiming to be wise, they became fools

³³ In Praise of God’s WaysO how deep are God’s riches, and wisdom, and knowledge! How unfathomable are his decisions and unexplainable are his ways! ³⁴ Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his adviser?

²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the Messiah is God’s power and God’s wisdom.

³⁰ It is because of God that you are in union with the Messiah Jesus, who for us has become wisdom from God, as well as our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man I told you about. This man will rule over my people.”

¹ David Anointed to Succeed SaulThe LORD told Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I’ve rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I’m sending you to Jesse from Bethlehem because I’ve chosen for myself one of his sons as king.”

⁹ So give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, so I can discern between good and evil. Otherwise, how will I be able to govern this great people of yours?”

²⁸ When this decision that the king had handed down was announced, everybody in Israel was amazed at the king, because they all saw that God’s wisdom was in him, enabling him to administer justice.

⁷ As soon as Hiram received the message from Solomon, he became so ecstatic that he exclaimed, “Blessed be the LORD today, who has given David a wise son to rule this great people!” Then he sent this message to Solomon:

⁹ And blessed be the LORD your God, who is delighted with you! He set you in place on the throne of Israel because the LORD loved Israel forever. That’s why he made you to be king, so you could carry out justice and implement righteousness.”

⁵ “Now out of all of my sons (since the LORD has given me many of them), he has selected my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD, ruling over Israel.

¹ Solomonic
A Prayer for the King God, endow the king with ability to render your justice, and the king’s son to render your right decisions. ² May he rule your people with right decisions and your oppressed ones with justice. ³ May the mountains bring prosperity to the people and the hills bring righteousness. ⁴ May he defend the afflicted of the people and deliver the children of the poor, but crush the oppressor.

⁴ A mighty king who loves justice, you have established fairness. You have exercised justice and righteousness over Jacob.

²⁶ Let me restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you’ll be called ‘The Righteous City’ and ‘The Faithful City of Zion’.

¹ The Government of Justice “Look, a king will reign in righteousness, and rulers will rule with justice. ² Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a hiding place from storms, like streams of water in the desert, in the shadow of a great rock in an exhausted land.

⁵ “By my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth, mankind, and the animals that are on the face of the earth, and I give it to whomever I see fit. ⁶ Now I’ve given all these lands to my servant, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I’ve even given him the wild animals to serve him. ⁷ All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his country’s time also comes, and then many nations and great kings will use him as a slave.

¹⁵ In those days and at that time I’ll cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he will uphold justice and righteousness in the land.

²¹ It is God who alters the times and seasons, and he removes kings and promotes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

²⁵ You’ll be driven from people, and you’ll live among wild animals of the field. You’ll eat grass like cattle and be soaked with the dew of the sky while seven years pass you by—until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.

³² You’re to be driven away from people. You’re to live with the wild animals of the field. You are to be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass you by until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.’”

¹⁸ Your majesty, the Most High God gave your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty, as well as greatness, glory, and splendor. ¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages revered and feared him. He executed those whom he desired to execute, he spared those whom he wished to spare, he promoted those whom he desired to promote, and he humbled those whom he wished to humble. ²⁰ But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. ²¹ He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.
²² “But you, Belshazzar, his grandson, haven’t humbled yourself, even though you knew all of this.
²³ “You’ve exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven.
“You’ve had the vessels from his Temple brought into your presence.
“And you, your officials, and your wives and mistresses drank wine from them.
“You praised gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which can’t see, hear, or demonstrate knowledge.
“But you didn’t honor God, who holds in his power your very life and all your ways.
²⁴ “Therefore, the hand that wrote this inscription was sent from his presence. ²⁵ This is the written inscription: MENE, MENE, TEKEL AND PARSIN
²⁶ These are the meanings of the words:MENE: God has audited your kingdom—and has ended it. ²⁷ TEKEL: You’ve been weighed on the scales—and you don’t measure up. ²⁸ PERES: Your kingdom has been divided—and will be given to the Medes and Persians.”
²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave orders to clothe Daniel in purple, to place a chain of gold around his neck, and to proclaim him the third highest ruler of the kingdom.
³⁰ That night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was killed, ³¹ and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of 62.

¹³ The Vision of the Son of Man“I continued to observe the night vision—and look!—someone like the Son of Man was coming, accompanied by heavenly clouds. He approached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. ¹⁴ To him dominion was bestowed, along with glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and languages are to serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion—it will never pass away—and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

¹⁸ Then Jesus approached them and told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

¹ Obey Your GovernmentEvery person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God’s permission. The existing authorities have been established by God,

¹¹ The Vision of the Coming of the MessiahThen I saw heaven standing open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is named Faithful and True. He administers justice and wages war righteously.

¹⁶ On his robe that covers his thigh he has a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

³⁰ “Therefore, the LORD God of Israel has declared, ‘I did, in fact, say that your family and your ancestor’s family would walk before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares, ‘Far be it from me! The one who honors me I’ll honor, and the one who despises me is to be treated with contempt.

¹⁴ The LORD SpeaksBecause he has focused his love on me, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name.

²⁸ “Then they will call out to me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

¹ Remember Your Creator So remember your Creator during your youth! Otherwise, troublesome days will come and years will creep up on you when you’ll say, “I find no pleasure in them,”

¹⁹ I didn’t speak in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I didn’t say to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in chaos.’ I, the LORD, speak truth, declaring what is right.

⁶ Steps to Reconciliation“Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.

³³ But first be concerned about God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well.

⁷ Ask, Search, Knock
“Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you. ⁸ Because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened.

¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he became furious and told them, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these.

²¹ The person who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I, too, will love him and reveal myself to him.”

²³ Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. Then my Father will love him, and we will go to him and make our home within him.

²⁷ because the Father himself loves you, and because you have loved me and believed that I came from God.

¹⁹ We love because God first loved us.

⁶ Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your justice is like the great depths of the sea. You deliver both people and animals, LORD.

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

¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand, and in her left are riches and honor.

⁷ Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom, and with all your effort work to acquire understanding. ⁸ Prize her and she will exalt you. Indeed, if you embrace her, she will honor you. ⁹ She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will present to you a crown of beauty.”

⁴ Wealth won’t help in the time of judgment, but righteousness will deliver from death.

¹⁴ and that wealth is lost in troubled circumstances. Then a son is born, but there is nothing left for him. ¹⁵ Just as he came naked from his mother’s womb, he will leave as naked as he came; he will receive no profit from his efforts— he cannot carry away even a handful.
¹⁶ This is also a painful tragedy: However a person comes, he also departs; so what does he gain as he labors after the wind?

¹⁹ Teaching about Treasures
“Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal,

⁴² But there’s only one thing you need. Mary has chosen what is better, and it is not to be taken away from her.”

²⁰ But God told him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Now who will get the things you’ve accumulated?’ ²¹ That’s how it is with the person who stores up treasures for himself rather than with God.”

³³ “Sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves wallets that don’t wear out—a dependable treasure in heaven, where no thief can get close and no moth can destroy anything.

¹¹ So if you haven’t been faithful with unrighteous wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? ¹² And if you haven’t been faithful with what belongs to foreigners, who will give you what is your own?

⁸ To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given so that I might proclaim to the gentiles the immeasurable wealth of the Messiah

¹⁹ And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus.

¹⁷ Advice for the WealthyTell those who are rich in this age not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, let them place their confidence in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ They are to do good, to be rich in good actions, to be generous, and to share. ¹⁹ By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future, so that they can keep their hold on the life that is real.

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers! God has chosen the poor in the world to become rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who keep on loving him, has he not?

¹ Advice for Rich PeopleNow listen, you rich people! Cry and moan over the miseries that are overtaking you. ² Your riches are rotten, your clothes have been eaten by moths, ³ your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be used as evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasures in these last days.

¹⁸ Therefore, I advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire so you may be rich, white clothes to wear so your shameful nakedness won’t show, and ointment to put on your eyes so you may see.

¹⁴ because her profit is better than the profit of silver, and her yield than fine gold.

¹⁰ Grab hold of my instruction in lieu of money and knowledge instead of the finest gold,

¹² Indeed, wisdom gives protection, just like money does, but it’s better to know that wisdom gives life, to those who have mastered it.

³² You must be careful to do what the LORD your God commanded you, turning neither to the left nor to the right.

³ He revives my life; he leads me in pathways that are righteous for the sake of his name.

⁴ Cause me to understand your ways, LORD; teach me your paths. ⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me; for you are the God who delivers me. All day long I have waited for you.

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you concerning the path you should walk; I will direct you with my eye.

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

¹¹ I have directed you in the way of wisdom, and I have led you along straight paths. ¹² When you walk, your step will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble.

²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead; fix your gaze straight in front of you. ²⁶ Carefully measure the paths for your feet, and all your ways will be established. ²⁷ Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

²² During your travels wisdom will lead you; she will watch over you while you rest; and when you are startled from your sleep, she will commune with you.

³ Many groups of people will come, commenting, “Come! Let’s go up to the Temple of the God of Jacob, that they may teach us his ways. Then let’s walk in his paths.”
The Rule of God from Jerusalem “Instruction will proceed from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

¹⁰ They won’t hunger or thirst, nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them; for the one who has compassion on them will drive them and guide them alongside springs of water.

⁴ “Look! I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples.

³ It’s to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it’s his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

²⁷ My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, they’ll never be lost, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

¹⁷ because the lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs filled with the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

¹⁴ However, I will judge the nation that they serve, and later they will leave there with many possessions.

⁸ He raises the poor up from the dust, he lifts up the needy from the trash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. Indeed the pillars of the earth belong to the LORD, and he has set the world on them.

¹¹ You cause me to know the path of life; in your presence is joyful abundance, at your right hand there are pleasures forever.

¹³ We’ll find all kinds of valuable wealth, and we’ll fill our houses with spoil.

³¹ but when he is discovered, he must restore seven-fold, forfeiting the entire value of his house.

¹⁸ Wealth and honor accompany me, as do enduring wealth and righteousness.

⁴ By knowledge its rooms are furnished with all sorts of expensive and beautiful goods.

⁴⁶ These people will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

¹ The Word and CreationIn the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He existed in the beginning with God. ³ Through him all things were made, and apart from him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life brought light to humanity. ⁵ And the light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.
⁶ John’s Witness to the WordThere was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe because of him. ⁸ John was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. ⁹ This was the true light that enlightens every person by his coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him. Yet the world did not recognize him.
¹¹ Responses to the WordHe came to his own creation, yet his own people did not receive him. ¹² However, to all who received him, those believing in his name, he gave authority to become God’s children, ¹³ who were born, not merely in a genetic sense, nor from lust, nor from man’s desire, but from the will of God.
¹⁴ The Word Becomes HumanThe Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father’s unique Son, who is full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ John told the truth about him when he cried out, “This is the person about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me ranks higher than me, because he existed before me.’” ¹⁶ We have all received one gracious gift after another from his abundance, ¹⁷ because while the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus the Messiah. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. The unique God, who is close to the Father’s side, has revealed him.

¹⁷ Now if we are children, we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with the Messiah—if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

¹⁹ that is, you will know the love of the Messiah— which transcends knowledge, and will be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us—

³⁴ For you sympathized with the prisoners and cheerfully submitted to the violent seizure of your property, because you know that you have a better and more permanent possession.

⁴ and to an inheritance kept in heaven for you that can’t be destroyed, corrupted, or changed.

⁷ The person who conquers will inherit these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.

²⁶ He set in place ordinances for the rain; and determined the pathway for thunder that accompanies lightning. ²⁷ Then he looked at wisdom, and fixed it in place; he established it, and also examined it. ²⁸ He has commanded mankind: ‘To fear the Lord—that is wisdom; to move away from evil—that is understanding.’”

¹⁹ By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, and by understanding he set the heavens in place.

¹ The Word and CreationIn the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He existed in the beginning with God.

¹⁷ He himself existed before anything else did, and he holds all things together.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, to be like us. Let them be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, the livestock, everything that crawls on the earth, and over the earth itself!”

⁶ “I have set my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”

² The Ruler from Bethlehem“As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity.

⁵ “So now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world existed.

²⁴ Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

¹⁰ to usher in the fullness of the times and to bring together in the Messiah all things in heaven and on earth.
¹¹ In the Messiah we were also chosen when we were predestined according to the purpose of the one who does everything that he wills to do,

¹ Jesus, the Word of LifeWhat existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life! ² This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.

² When the earth was as yet unformed and desolate, with the surface of the ocean depths shrouded in darkness, and while the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters,

⁷ The Anointed King SpeaksLet me announce the decree of the LORD that he told me: “You are my son, today I have become your father.

²⁰ By his knowledge the depths broke open, and the clouds drip with dew.

¹⁴ The Word Becomes HumanThe Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father’s unique Son, who is full of grace and truth.

²⁰ The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him even greater actions than these, so that you may be amazed.

⁵ God’s Son is Superior to the AngelsFor to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?

⁹ This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent his unique Son into the world so that we might live through him.

⁷ Eliphaz Claims that Job is Guilty“Were you the first person to be born? Were you brought forth before the hills were made? ⁸ Have you listened in on God’s secret council? Have you limited wisdom only to yourself?

⁴ On the Natural World“Where were you when I laid the foundation of my earth? Tell me, since you’re so informed! ⁵ Who set its measurement? Am I to assume you know? Who stretched a boundary line over it? ⁶ On what were its bases set? Who laid its corner stone ⁷ while the morning stars sang together and all the divine beings shouted joyfully? ⁸ “Who enclosed the sea with limits when it gushed out of the womb, ⁹ when I made clouds to be its clothes and thick darkness its swaddling blanket, ¹⁰ when I proscribed a boundary for it, set in place bars and doors for it; ¹¹ and said, ‘You may come only this far and no more. Your majestic waves will stop here.’?

² Before the mountains were formed or the earth and the world were brought forth, you are God from eternity to eternity.

²⁵ You established the earth long ago; the heavens are the work of your hands. ²⁶ They will perish, but you will remain; and they all will become worn out, like a garment. You will change them like clothing, and they will pass away. ²⁷ But you remain the same; your years never end. ²⁸ May the descendants of your servants live securely, and may their children be established in your presence.”

¹⁰ And, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

¹ The CreationIn the beginning, God created the universe. ² When the earth was as yet unformed and desolate, with the surface of the ocean depths shrouded in darkness, and while the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters, ³ God said, “Let there be light!” So there was light.
⁴ God saw that the light was beautiful. He separated the light from the darkness, ⁵ calling the light “day,” and the darkness “night.” The twilight and the dawn were day one.
⁶ Then God said, “Let there be a canopy between bodies of water, separating bodies of water from bodies of water!” ⁷ So God made a canopy that separated the water beneath the canopy from the water above it. And that is what happened: ⁸ God called the canopy “sky.” The twilight and the dawn were the second day.
⁹ Then God said, “Let the water beneath the sky come together into one area, and let dry ground appear!” And that is what happened: ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and he called the water that had come together “oceans.” And God saw how good it was.
¹¹ Then God said, “Let vegetation sprout all over the earth, including seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each kind containing its own seed!” And that is what happened: ¹² Vegetation sprouted all over the earth, including seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each kind containing its own seed. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ The twilight and the dawn were the third day.
¹⁴ Then God said, “Let there be lights across the sky to distinguish day from night, to act as signs for seasons, days, and years, ¹⁵ to serve as lights in the sky, and to shine on the earth!” And that is what happened: ¹⁶ God fashioned two great lights—the larger light to shine during the day and the smaller light to shine during the night—as well as stars. ¹⁷ God placed them in space to shine on the earth, ¹⁸ to differentiate between day and night, and to distinguish light from darkness. And God saw how good it was. ¹⁹ The twilight and the dawn were the fourth day.
²⁰ Then God said, “Let the oceans swarm with living creatures, and let flying creatures soar above the earth throughout the sky!” ²¹ So God created every kind of magnificent marine creature, every kind of living marine crawler with which the waters swarmed, and every kind of flying creature. And God saw how good it was. ²² God blessed them by saying, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the oceans. Let the birds multiply throughout the earth!” ²³ The twilight and the dawn were the fifth day.
²⁴ Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth each kind of living creature, each kind of livestock and crawling thing, and each kind of earth’s animals!” And that is what happened: ²⁵ God made each kind of the earth’s animals, along with every kind of livestock and crawling thing. And God saw how good it was.
²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, to be like us. Let them be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, the livestock, everything that crawls on the earth, and over the earth itself!” ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image; in his own image God created them; he created them male and female.
²⁸ God blessed the humans by saying to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it! Be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, and every living thing that crawls on the earth!”
²⁹ God also told them, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows throughout the earth, along with every tree that grows seed-bearing fruit. They will produce your food. ³⁰ I have given all green plants as food for every wild animal of the earth, every bird that flies, and to every living thing that crawls on the earth.” And that is what happened.
³¹ Now God saw all that he had made, and indeed, it was very good! The twilight and the dawn were the sixth day.

¹⁰ He has delimited a boundary over the surface of the oceans as a limit between light and darkness.

⁶ By the word of the LORD the heavens were made; all the heavenly bodies by the breath of his mouth.

¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all.

⁵ to the one who by wisdom made the heavens, for his gracious love is everlasting—

¹¹ Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep.”

²² He’s the one who sits above the disk of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He’s the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in,

¹² A Hymn of Praise to GodThe LORD is the one who made the world by his power, who established the earth by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

¹⁶ For by him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether they are kings, lords, rulers, or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

² has in these last days spoken to us by a Son whom he appointed to be the heir of everything and through whom he also made the universe.

⁹ Then God said, “Let the water beneath the sky come together into one area, and let dry ground appear!” And that is what happened: ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and he called the water that had come together “oceans.” And God saw how good it was.

⁷ He gathered the oceans into a single place; he put the deep water into storehouses.

⁵ He established the earth on its foundations, so that it never falters.

⁹ You have set a boundary they cannot cross; they will never again cover the earth.

²² ‘You don’t fear me, do you?’ declares the LORD. ‘You don’t tremble before me, do you? I’m the one who put the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot cross. Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail against it, though they roar, they cannot cross it.’

¹ The Servant of the LORD “Here is my servant, whom I support, my chosen one, in whom I delight. I’ve placed my Spirit upon him; and he’ll deliver his justice throughout the world.

¹⁷ Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!”

⁵ He was still speaking when a bright cloud suddenly overshadowed them.
A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him. Keep on listening to him!”

¹ The Word and CreationIn the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He existed in the beginning with God. ³ Through him all things were made, and apart from him nothing was made that has been made.

¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. The unique God, who is close to the Father’s side, has revealed him.

²⁸ Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!”

²⁸ I left the Father and came into the world. Now I’m leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

¹³ God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves,

³ As for the saints that are in the land, they are noble, and all my delight is in them.

⁶ You take no delight in sacrifices and offerings— you have prepared my ears to listen— you require no burnt offerings or sacrifices for sin. ⁷ Then I said, “Here I am! I have come! In the scroll of the book it is written about me. ⁸ I delight to do your will, my God. Your Law is part of my inner being.”

³⁴ Jesus told them, “My food is doing the will of the one who sent me and completing his work.

¹ Jesus Washes the Disciples’ FeetNow before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Although he was rich, for your sakes he became poor, so that you, through his poverty, might become rich.

¹ BOOK I (Psalms 1-41)
The Righteous and the Wicked How blessed is the person, who does not take the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in the seat of mockers. ² But he delights in the LORD’s instruction, and meditates in his instruction day and night. ³ He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither. He will prosper in everything he does. ⁴ But this is not the case with the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

¹ Alef
Living in the Law of God How blessed are those whose life is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD! ² How blessed are those who observe his decrees, who seek him with all of their heart,

¹ A Song of Ascents
The Blessings of Fearing God How blessed are all who fear the LORD as they follow in his ways.

⁷ Now, children, listen to me. Don’t turn away from what I am saying.

²⁴ So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to what I have to say.

²⁸ But he said, “Instead, how blessed are those who hear God’s word and obey it!”

¹¹ Yet my people didn’t obey my voice; Israel didn’t submit to me. ¹² So I allowed them to continue in their stubbornness, living by their own advice.

² These proverbs are for gaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; ³ for acquiring the discipline that produces wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and upright living;

⁸ The Minor ThemeMy son, listen to your father’s instruction, and do not let go of your mother’s teaching.

²¹ She calls out at the busiest part of the noisy streets, and at the entrance to the gates of the city she utters her words:

¹ Diligently Pursue Wisdom Listen, children, to your father’s instruction, and pay attention in order to gain understanding.

¹ Warning against Sexual Immorality My son, pay attention to my wisdom, and listen closely to my insight,

³⁵ “This same Moses—whom they rejected by saying, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’—was the man whom God sent to be both their ruler and deliverer with the help of the angel who had appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ It was he who led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for 40 years. ³⁷ It was this Moses who told the Israelis, ‘God will raise up a prophet for you from among your own brothers, just as he did me.’

¹⁶ But not everyone has obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah asks, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁷ Consequently, faith results from listening, and listening results through the word of the Messiah.

²⁵ See to it that you do not ignore the one who is speaking. For if the hearers did not escape when they ignored the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we turn away from the one who is from heaven!

⁴ I have asked one thing from the LORD; it is what I really seek: that I may remain in the LORD’s Temple all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD; and to inquire in his Temple.

¹⁰ for a day in your Temple courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather stand at the entrance of God’s house than live in the tent of wickedness.

¹³ Planted in the LORD’s Temple, they will flourish in the courtyard of our God.

³ if, indeed, you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, ⁴ if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure,

¹³ Wisdom More Valuable than RichesHow joyful is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding,

¹⁸ She is a tree of life for those who embrace her, and whoever clutches her tightly will be joyful.

²⁴ The Two Foundations
“Therefore, everyone who listens to these messages of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.

⁶ Both of them were righteous before God, having lived blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord.

³⁹ She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and kept listening to what he was saying.

³¹ Freedom and SlaverySo Jesus told those Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are really my disciples. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

⁴² Life among the BelieversThe believers continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer.

¹¹ These people were more receptive than those in Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive the message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if those things were so. ¹² Many of them believed, including a large number of prominent Greek women and men.

²² Keep on being obedient to the word, and not merely being hearers who deceive themselves. ²³ For if anyone hears the word but is not obedient to it, he is like a man who looks at himself in a mirror ²⁴ and studies himself carefully, and then goes off and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But the one who looks at the perfect law of freedom and remains committed to it—thereby demonstrating that he is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of what that law requires—will be blessed in what he does.

³³ “But the person who listens to me will live safely and will be secure from the fear of evil.”

¹³ Wisdom More Valuable than RichesHow joyful is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding, ¹⁴ because her profit is better than the profit of silver, and her yield than fine gold. ¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her. ¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand, and in her left are riches and honor. ¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peaceful. ¹⁸ She is a tree of life for those who embrace her, and whoever clutches her tightly will be joyful.

²² For they are life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.

² The good person will gain favor from the LORD, but the man who plots evil will be condemned by him.

³⁶ The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

³ And this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent—Jesus the Messiah.

⁶ so that we would praise his glorious grace that he gave us in the Beloved One.

⁸ What is more, I continue to consider all these things to be a loss for the sake of what is far more valuable, knowing the Messiah Jesus, my Lord. It is because of him that I have experienced the loss of all those things. Indeed, I consider them rubbish in order to gain the Messiah

³ For you have died, and your life has been safely guarded by the Messiah in God.

¹¹ This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is found in his Son. ¹² The person who has the Son has this life. The person who does not have the Son of God does not have this life.

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

¹¹ You will cry out in anguish when your end comes, when your flesh and body are consumed, ¹² and you will say, “How I hated instruction, and my heart rejected correction!

²² The wicked person’s iniquities will capture him, and he will be held with the cords of his sin. ²³ He will die for lack of discipline, and he goes astray because of his great folly.

¹ Wisdom and Wickedness Contrasted The person who loves correction loves knowledge, but anyone who hates a rebuke is stupid.

³² Whoever ignores instruction hates himself, but anyone who heeds reproof gains understanding.

² A king’s anger is like a lion’s roar; anyone who angers him forfeits his life.

⁶ A fortune gained by deceit is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

³¹ Stop your transgressing—the deeds by which you’ve rebelled—and then make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, you house of Israel?

¹¹ “Tell them, ‘As certainly as I’m alive and living,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I receive no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Instead, my pleasure is that the wicked repent from their behavior and live. Turn back! Turn back, all of you, from your wicked behavior! Why do you have to die, you house of Israel?’”

¹⁹ And this is the basis for judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed.

²³ The person who hates me also hates my Father. ²⁴ If I hadn’t done among them the actions that no one else did, they wouldn’t have any sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas boldly declared, “We had to speak God’s word to you first, but since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now going to turn to the gentiles.

²² If anyone doesn’t love the Lord, let him be condemned! May our Lord come!

³ how will we escape if we neglect a salvation as great as this? It was first proclaimed by the Lord himself, and then it was confirmed to us by those who heard him,

²⁹ How much more severe a punishment do you think that person deserves who tramples on God’s Son, treats as common the blood of the covenant by which it was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace?