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Proverbs 8

Wisdom's Call

 ² On the heights along the way,
       where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

 ³ beside the gates leading into the city,
       at the entrances, she cries aloud:

 ⁴ "To you, O men, I call out;
       I raise my voice to all mankind.

 ⁵ You who are simple, gain prudence;
       you who are foolish, gain understanding.

 ⁶ Listen, for I have worthy things to say;
       I open my lips to speak what is right.

 ⁷ My mouth speaks what is true,
       for my lips detest wickedness.

 ⁸ All the words of my mouth are just;
       none of them is crooked or perverse.

 ⁹ To the discerning all of them are right;
       they are faultless to those who have knowledge.

 ¹⁰ Choose my instruction instead of silver,
       knowledge rather than choice gold,

 ¹¹ for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
       and nothing you desire can compare with her.

 ¹² "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
       I possess knowledge and discretion.

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

 ¹⁴ Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
       I have understanding and power.

 ¹⁵ By me kings reign
       and rulers make laws that are just;

 ¹⁶ by me princes govern,
       and all nobles who rule on earth. ^[a]

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

 ¹⁸ With me are riches and honor,
       enduring wealth and prosperity.

 ¹⁹ My fruit is better than fine gold;
       what I yield surpasses choice silver.

 ²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
       along the paths of justice,

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

 ²² "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, ^[b] , ^[c]
       before his deeds of old;

 ²³ I was appointed ^[d] from eternity,
       from the beginning, before the world began.

 ²⁴ When there were no oceans, I was given birth,
       when there were no springs abounding with water;

 ²⁵ before the mountains were settled in place,
       before the hills, I was given birth,

 ²⁶ before he made the earth or its fields
       or any of the dust of the world.

 ²⁷ I was there when he set the heavens in place,
       when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

 ²⁸ when he established the clouds above
       and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

 ²⁹ when he gave the sea its boundary
       so the waters would not overstep his command,
       and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

 ³⁰ Then I was the craftsman at his side.
       I was filled with delight day after day,
       rejoicing always in his presence,

 ³¹ rejoicing in his whole world
       and delighting in mankind.

 ³² "Now then, my sons, listen to me;
       blessed are those who keep my ways.

 ³³ Listen to my instruction and be wise;
       do not ignore it.

 ³⁴ Blessed is the man who listens to me,
       watching daily at my doors,
       waiting at my doorway.

 ³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life
       and receives favor from the LORD.

 ³⁶ But whoever fails to find me harms himself;
       all who hate me love death."

Proverbs 9

Invitations of Wisdom and of Folly

 ² She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
       she has also set her table.

 ³ She has sent out her maids, and she calls
       from the highest point of the city.

 ⁴ "Let all who are simple come in here!"
       she says to those who lack judgment.

 ⁵ "Come, eat my food
       and drink the wine I have mixed.

 ⁶ Leave your simple ways and you will live;
       walk in the way of understanding.

 ⁷ "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;
       whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.

 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 add to his learning.

 ¹⁰ "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
       and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

 ¹¹ For through me your days will be many,
       and years will be added to your life.

 ¹² If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
       if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."

 ¹³ The woman Folly is loud;
       she is undisciplined and without knowledge.

 ¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house,
       on a seat at the highest point of the city,

 ¹⁵ calling out to those who pass by,
       who go straight on their way.

 ¹⁶ "Let all who are simple come in here!"
       she says to those who lack judgment.

 ¹⁷ "Stolen water is sweet;
       food eaten in secret is delicious!"

 ¹⁸ But little do they know that the dead are there,
       that her guests are in the depths of the grave. ^[e]

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2 Corinthians 3

 ¹Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ²You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. ³You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

 ⁴Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. ⁵Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant

 ¹²Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. ¹³We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. ¹⁴But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect^[a] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.