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Proverbs 1

Prologue: Purpose and Theme

 ² for attaining wisdom and discipline;
       for understanding words of insight;

 ³ for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
       doing what is right and just and fair;

 ⁴ for giving prudence to the simple,
       knowledge and discretion to the young-

 ⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning,
       and let the discerning get guidance-

 ⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables,
       the sayings and riddles of the wise.

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

Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against Enticement

 ⁹ They will be a garland to grace your head
       and a chain to adorn your neck.

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

 ¹¹ If they say, "Come along with us;
       let's lie in wait for someone's blood,
       let's waylay some harmless soul;

 ¹² let's swallow them alive, like the grave, ^[b]
       and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

 ¹³ we will get all sorts of valuable things
       and fill our houses with plunder;

 ¹⁴ throw in your lot with us,
       and we will share a common purse"-

 ¹⁵ my son, do not go along with them,
       do not set foot on their paths;

 ¹⁶ for their feet rush into sin,
       they are swift to shed blood.

 ¹⁷ How useless to spread a net
       in full view of all the birds!

 ¹⁸ These men lie in wait for their own blood;
       they waylay only themselves!

 ¹⁹ Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
       it takes away the lives of those who get it.

Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

 ²¹ at the head of the noisy streets ^[c] she cries out,
       in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

 ²² "How long will you simple ones ^[d] love your simple ways?
       How long will mockers delight in mockery
       and fools hate knowledge?

 ²³ If you had responded to my rebuke,
       I would have poured out my heart to you
       and made my thoughts known to you.

 ²⁴ But since you rejected me when I called
       and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

 ²⁵ since you ignored all my advice
       and would not accept my rebuke,

 ²⁶ I in turn will laugh at your disaster;
       I will mock when calamity overtakes you-

 ²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
       when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
       when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

 ²⁸ "Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
       they will look for me but will not find me.

 ²⁹ Since they hated knowledge
       and did not choose to fear the LORD,

 ³⁰ since they would not accept my advice
       and spurned my rebuke,

 ³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
       and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

 ³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
       and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

 ³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
       and be at ease, without fear of harm."

Proverbs 2

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

 ² turning your ear to wisdom
       and applying your heart to understanding,

 ³ and if you call out for insight
       and cry aloud for understanding,

 ⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
       and search for it as for hidden treasure,

 ⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
       and find the knowledge of God.

 ⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom,
       and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

 ⁷ He holds victory in store for the upright,
       he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

 ⁸ for he guards the course of the just
       and protects the way of his faithful ones.

 ⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just
       and fair—every good path.

 ¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
       and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

 ¹¹ Discretion will protect you,
       and understanding will guard you.

 ¹² Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
       from men whose words are perverse,

 ¹³ who leave the straight paths
       to walk in dark ways,

 ¹⁴ who delight in doing wrong
       and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

 ¹⁵ whose paths are crooked
       and who are devious in their ways.

 ¹⁶ It will save you also from the adulteress,
       from the wayward wife with her seductive words,

 ¹⁷ who has left the partner of her youth
       and ignored the covenant she made before God. ^[e]

 ¹⁸ For her house leads down to death
       and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

 ¹⁹ None who go to her return
       or attain the paths of life.

 ²⁰ Thus you will walk in the ways of good men
       and keep to the paths of the righteous.

 ²¹ For the upright will live in the land,
       and the blameless will remain in it;

 ²² but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
       and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

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1 Corinthians 16

The Collection for God's People

Personal Requests

 ¹⁰If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. ¹¹No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.

 ¹²Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

 ¹³Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. ¹⁴Do everything in love.

 ¹⁵You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, ¹⁶to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. ¹⁷I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. ¹⁸For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

Final Greetings

 ²¹I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.

 ²²If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him. Come, O Lord^[b]!

 ²³The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

 ²⁴My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.^[c]