Proverbs 8-10

English Standard Version

The Blessings of Wisdom

8 Does not ^(A)wisdom call?
    Does not ^(B)understanding raise her voice?
²On ^(C)the heights beside the way,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand;
³beside ^(D)the gates in front of ^(E)the town,
    at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
⁴“To you, O ^(F)men, I call,
    and my cry is to ^(G)the children of man.
⁵O ^(H)simple ones, learn ^(I)prudence;
    O ^(J)fools, learn sense.
⁶Hear, for I will speak ^(K)noble things,
    and from my lips will come ^(L)what is right,
⁷for my ^(M)mouth will utter truth;
    wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous;
    there is nothing ^(N)twisted or crooked in them.
⁹They are all ^(O)straight to him who understands,
    and right to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰^(P)Take my instruction instead of silver,
    and knowledge rather than choice gold,
¹¹^(Q)for wisdom is better than jewels,
    and ^(R)all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

¹²“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and ^(S)discretion.
¹³^(T)The fear of the Lord is ^(U)hatred of evil.
^(V)Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and ^(W)perverted speech I hate.
¹⁴I have ^(X)counsel and ^(Y)sound wisdom;
    I have insight; ^(Z)I have strength.
¹⁵By me ^(AA)kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;
¹⁶by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly.^[a]
¹⁷^(AB)I love those who love me,
    and ^(AC)those who seek me diligently find me.
¹⁸^(AD)Riches and honor are with me,
    ^(AE)enduring wealth and ^(AF)righteousness.
¹⁹My fruit is ^(AG)better than ^(AH)gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than ^(AI)choice silver.
²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,
²¹granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.

²²^(AJ)“The Lord ^(AK)possessed^[b] me at the beginning of his work,^[c]
    the first of his acts ^(AL)of old.
²³Ages ago I was ^(AM)set up,
    at the first, ^(AN)before the beginning of the earth.
²⁴When there were no ^(AO)depths I was ^(AP)brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵Before the mountains ^(AQ)had been shaped,
    ^(AR)before the hills, I was brought forth,
²⁶before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.
²⁷When he ^(AS)established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew ^(AT)a circle on the face of the deep,
²⁸when he ^(AU)made firm the skies above,
    when he established^[d] the fountains of the deep,
²⁹when he ^(AV)assigned to the sea its ^(AW)limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out ^(AX)the foundations of the earth,
³⁰    then ^(AY)I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his^[e] ^(AZ)delight,
    rejoicing before him always,
³¹^(BA)rejoicing in his ^(BB)inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

³²“And now, ^(BC)O sons, listen to me:
    ^(BD)blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³^(BE)Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
³⁴^(BF)Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
³⁵For ^(BG)whoever finds me ^(BH)finds life
    and ^(BI)obtains favor from the Lord,
³⁶but he who fails to find me ^(BJ)injures himself;
    all who ^(BK)hate me ^(BL)love death.”

The Way of Wisdom

9 ^(BM)Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her ^(BN)seven ^(BO)pillars.
²She has ^(BP)slaughtered her beasts; she has ^(BQ)mixed her wine;
    she has also ^(BR)set her table.
³She has ^(BS)sent out her young women to ^(BT)call
    from ^(BU)the highest places in the town,
⁴^(BV)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    ^(BW)To him who lacks sense she says,
⁵“Come, ^(BX)eat of my bread
    and ^(BY)drink of ^(BZ)the wine I have mixed.
⁶Leave ^(CA)your simple ways,^[f] and ^(CB)live,
    ^(CC)and walk in the way of insight.”

⁷Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
⁸^(CD)Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
    ^(CE)reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
⁹Give instruction^[g] to a wise man, and he will be ^(CF)still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will ^(CG)increase in learning.
¹⁰^(CH)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and ^(CI)the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
¹¹For by me ^(CJ)your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life.
¹²^(CK)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
    if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The Way of Folly

¹³^(CL)The woman Folly is ^(CM)loud;
    she is seductive^[h] and ^(CN)knows nothing.
¹⁴She sits at the door of her house;
    she takes a seat on ^(CO)the highest places of the town,
¹⁵calling to those who pass by,
    who are ^(CP)going straight on their way,
¹⁶^(CQ)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    And to him who lacks sense she says,
¹⁷^(CR)“Stolen water is sweet,
    and ^(CS)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
¹⁸But he does not know ^(CT)that the dead^[i] are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

The Proverbs of Solomon

10 ^(CU)The proverbs of Solomon.

^(CV)A wise son makes a glad father,
    ^(CW)but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
²^(CX)Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
    ^(CY)but righteousness delivers from death.
³^(CZ)The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
    ^(DA)but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
⁴A slack hand ^(DB)causes poverty,
    ^(DC)but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
⁵He who ^(DD)gathers in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps in harvest is ^(DE)a son who brings shame.
⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    but ^(DF)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.^[j]
⁷^(DG)The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
    but ^(DH)the name of the wicked will rot.
⁸^(DI)The wise of heart will receive commandments,
    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
⁹^(DJ)Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but he who makes his ways crooked ^(DK)will be found out.
¹⁰Whoever ^(DL)winks the eye causes trouble,
    and a babbling fool will come to ruin.
¹¹^(DM)The mouth of the righteous is ^(DN)a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked ^(DO)conceals violence.
¹²Hatred stirs up strife,
    but ^(DP)love covers all offenses.
¹³On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found,
    but ^(DQ)a rod is for the back of him who ^(DR)lacks sense.
¹⁴The wise ^(DS)lay up knowledge,
    but ^(DT)the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.
¹⁵^(DU)A rich man's wealth is his strong city;
    the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
¹⁶The wage of the righteous leads ^(DV)to life,
    the gain of the wicked to sin.
¹⁷Whoever heeds instruction is on ^(DW)the path to life,
    but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
¹⁸The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.
¹⁹^(DX)When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
    ^(DY)but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
²⁰The tongue of the righteous is ^(DZ)choice silver;
    the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
²¹The lips of the righteous feed many,
    but fools die for ^(EA)lack of sense.
²²^(EB)The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
    and he adds no sorrow with it.^[k]
²³Doing wrong is ^(EC)like a joke to a fool,
    but ^(ED)wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
²⁴^(EE)What the wicked dreads ^(EF)will come upon him,
    but ^(EG)the desire of the righteous will be granted.
²⁵When ^(EH)the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
    but ^(EI)the righteous is established forever.
²⁶Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so is the sluggard to those who send him.
²⁷^(EJ)The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
    ^(EK)but the years of the wicked will be short.
²⁸^(EL)The hope of the righteous brings joy,
    ^(EM)but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
²⁹^(EN)The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless,
    but destruction to evildoers.
³⁰^(EO)The righteous will never be removed,
    but ^(EP)the wicked will not dwell in the land.
³¹^(EQ)The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
³²The lips of the righteous ^(ER)know what is acceptable,
    but the mouth of the wicked, ^(ES)what is perverse.

Footnotes

Proverbs 8:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint govern the earth
Proverbs 8:22 Or fathered; Septuagint created
Proverbs 8:22 Hebrew way
Proverbs 8:28 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Proverbs 8:30 Or daily filled with
Proverbs 9:6 Or Leave the company of the simple
Proverbs 9:9 Hebrew lacks instruction
Proverbs 9:13 Or full of simpleness
Proverbs 9:18 Hebrew Rephaim
Proverbs 10:6 Or but violence covers the mouth of the wicked; also verse 11
Proverbs 10:22 Or and toil adds nothing to it

1 Timothy 6

English Standard Version

6 ^(A)Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants^[a] regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, ^(B)so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. ²Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are ^(C)brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

False Teachers and True Contentment

^(D)Teach and urge these things. ³If anyone ^(E)teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with ^(F)the sound^[b] words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching ^(G)that accords with godliness, ⁴^(H)he is puffed up with conceit and ^(I)understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for ^(J)controversy and for ^(K)quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵and constant friction among people ^(L)who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, ^(M)imagining that godliness is a means of gain. ⁶But ^(N)godliness ^(O)with contentment is great gain, ⁷for ^(P)we brought nothing into the world, and^[c] we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸But ^(Q)if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹But ^(R)those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ^(S)into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that ^(T)plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of ^(U)all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

¹¹But as for you, ^(V)O man of God, ^(W)flee these things. ^(X)Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ¹²^(Y)Fight the good fight of the faith. ^(Z)Take hold of the eternal life ^(AA)to which you were called and about which you made ^(AB)the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³^(AC)I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, ^(AD)who in his testimony before^[d] Pontius Pilate made ^(AE)the good confession, ¹⁴to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until ^(AF)the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which he will display ^(AG)at the proper time—he who is ^(AH)the blessed and only Sovereign, ^(AI)the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶^(AJ)who alone has immortality, ^(AK)who dwells in ^(AL)unapproachable light, ^(AM)whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

¹⁷As for the rich in ^(AN)this present age, charge them ^(AO)not to be haughty, nor ^(AP)to set their hopes on ^(AQ)the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(AR)who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸They are to do good, ^(AS)to be rich in good works, to be generous and ^(AT)ready to share, ¹⁹thus ^(AU)storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(AV)take hold of ^(AW)that which is truly life.

²⁰O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. ^(AX)Avoid the ^(AY)irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” ²¹for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

^(AZ)Grace be with you.^[e]

Footnotes

1 Timothy 6:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
1 Timothy 6:3 Or healthy
1 Timothy 6:7 Greek for; some manuscripts insert [it is] certain [that]
1 Timothy 6:13 Or in the time of
1 Timothy 6:21 The Greek for you is plural