Proverbs 4-5

New International Version

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

4 Listen, my sons,^(A) to a father’s instruction;^(B)
    pay attention and gain understanding.^(C)
²I give you sound learning,
    so do not forsake my teaching.
³For I too was a son to my father,
    still tender, and cherished by my mother.
⁴Then he taught me, and he said to me,
    “Take hold^(D) of my words with all your heart;
    keep my commands, and you will live.^(E)
⁵Get wisdom,^(F) get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;^(G)
    love her, and she will watch over you.^(H)
⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: Get^[a] wisdom.
    Though it cost all^(I) you have,^[b] get understanding.^(J)
⁸Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
    embrace her, and she will honor you.^(K)
⁹She will give you a garland to grace your head
    and present you with a glorious crown.^(L)”

¹⁰Listen, my son,^(M) accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.^(N)
¹¹I instruct^(O) you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.^(P)
¹²When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.^(Q)
¹³Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.^(R)
¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.^(S)
¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
¹⁶For they cannot rest until they do evil;^(T)
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
¹⁷They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.^(U)

¹⁸The path of the righteous^(V) is like the morning sun,^(W)
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.^(X)
¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;^(Y)
they do not know what makes them stumble.^(Z)

²⁰My son,^(AA) pay attention to what I say;
    turn your ear to my words.^(AB)
²¹Do not let them out of your sight,^(AC)
    keep them within your heart;
²²for they are life to those who find them
    and health to one’s whole body.^(AD)
²³Above all else, guard^(AE) your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.^(AF)
²⁴Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
²⁵Let your eyes^(AG) look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶Give careful thought to the^[c] paths for your feet^(AH)
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left;^(AI)
    keep your foot from evil.

Warning Against Adultery

5 My son,^(AJ) pay attention to my wisdom,
    turn your ear to my words^(AK) of insight,
²that you may maintain discretion
    and your lips may preserve knowledge.
³For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;^(AL)
⁴but in the end she is bitter as gall,^(AM)
    sharp as a double-edged sword.
⁵Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.^(AN)
⁶She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.^(AO)

⁷Now then, my sons, listen^(AP) to me;
    do not turn aside from what I say.
⁸Keep to a path far from her,^(AQ)
    do not go near the door of her house,
⁹lest you lose your honor to others
    and your dignity^[d] to one who is cruel,
¹⁰lest strangers feast on your wealth
    and your toil enrich the house of another.^(AR)
¹¹At the end of your life you will groan,
    when your flesh and body are spent.
¹²You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    How my heart spurned correction!^(AS)
¹³I would not obey my teachers
    or turn my ear to my instructors.
¹⁴And I was soon in serious trouble^(AT)
    in the assembly of God’s people.”^(AU)

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern,
    running water from your own well.
¹⁶Should your springs overflow in the streets,
    your streams of water in the public squares?
¹⁷Let them be yours alone,
    never to be shared with strangers.
¹⁸May your fountain^(AV) be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.^(AW)
¹⁹A loving doe, a graceful deer^(AX)—
    may her breasts satisfy you always,
    may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
²⁰Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
    Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

²¹For your ways are in full view^(AY) of the Lord,
    and he examines^(AZ) all your paths.^(BA)
²²The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;^(BB)
    the cords of their sins hold them fast.^(BC)
²³For lack of discipline they will die,^(BD)
    led astray by their own great folly.^(BE)

Footnotes

Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
Proverbs 5:9 Or years

1 Peter 1-2

New International Version

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,^(A)

To God’s elect,^(B) exiles^(C) scattered^(D) throughout the provinces of Pontus,^(E) Galatia,^(F) Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,^(G) ²who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge^(H) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,^(I) to be obedient^(J) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:^(K)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.^(L)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(M) In his great mercy^(N) he has given us new birth^(O) into a living hope^(P) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^(Q) ⁴and into an inheritance^(R) that can never perish, spoil or fade.^(S) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,^(T) ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power^(U) until the coming of the salvation^(V) that is ready to be revealed^(W) in the last time. ⁶In all this you greatly rejoice,^(X) though now for a little while^(Y) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.^(Z) ⁷These have come so that the proven genuineness^(AA) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire^(AB)—may result in praise, glory and honor^(AC) when Jesus Christ is revealed.^(AD) ⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him^(AE) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.^(AF)

¹⁰Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke^(AG) of the grace that was to come to you,^(AH) searched intently and with the greatest care,^(AI) ¹¹trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ^(AJ) in them was pointing when he predicted^(AK) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹²It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,^(AL) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you^(AM) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.^(AN) Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

¹³Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,^(AO) set your hope^(AP) on the grace to be brought to you^(AQ) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.^(AR) ¹⁴As obedient^(AS) children, do not conform^(AT) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.^(AU) ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;^(AV) ¹⁶for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[a]^(AW)

¹⁷Since you call on a Father^(AX) who judges each person’s work^(AY) impartially,^(AZ) live out your time as foreigners^(BA) here in reverent fear.^(BB) ¹⁸For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed^(BC) from the empty way of life^(BD) handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹but with the precious blood^(BE) of Christ, a lamb^(BF) without blemish or defect.^(BG) ²⁰He was chosen before the creation of the world,^(BH) but was revealed in these last times^(BI) for your sake. ²¹Through him you believe in God,^(BJ) who raised him from the dead^(BK) and glorified him,^(BL) and so your faith and hope^(BM) are in God.

²²Now that you have purified^(BN) yourselves by obeying^(BO) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(BP) from the heart.^[b] ²³For you have been born again,^(BQ) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(BR) through the living and enduring word of God.^(BS) ²⁴For,

“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever.”^[c]^(BT)

And this is the word that was preached to you.

2 Therefore, rid yourselves^(BU) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander^(BV) of every kind. ²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(BW) so that by it you may grow up^(BX) in your salvation, ³now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^(BY)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴As you come to him, the living Stone^(BZ)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(CA) and precious to him— ⁵you also, like living stones, are being built^(CB) into a spiritual house^[d]^(CC) to be a holy priesthood,^(CD) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^(CE) ⁶For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,^(CF)
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”^[e]^(CG)

⁷Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(CH)

“The stone the builders rejected^(CI)
has become the cornerstone,”^[f]^(CJ)

⁸and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”^[g]^(CK)

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^(CL)

⁹But you are a chosen people,^(CM) a royal priesthood,^(CN) a holy nation,^(CO) God’s special possession,^(CP) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^(CQ) ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(CR) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹Dear friends,^(CS) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(CT) to abstain from sinful desires,^(CU) which wage war against your soul.^(CV) ¹²Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(CW) and glorify God^(CX) on the day he visits us.

¹³Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^(CY) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^(CZ) and to commend those who do right.^(DA) ¹⁵For it is God’s will^(DB) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^(DC) ¹⁶Live as free people,^(DD) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(DE) live as God’s slaves.^(DF) ¹⁷Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^(DG) fear God, honor the emperor.^(DH)

¹⁸Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,^(DI) not only to those who are good and considerate,^(DJ) but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^(DK) ²⁰But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^(DL) ²¹To this^(DM) you were called,^(DN) because Christ suffered for you,^(DO) leaving you an example,^(DP) that you should follow in his steps.

²²“He committed no sin,^(DQ)
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”^[h]^(DR)

²³When they hurled their insults at him,^(DS) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(DT) Instead, he entrusted himself^(DU) to him who judges justly.^(DV) ²⁴“He himself bore our sins”^(DW) in his body on the cross,^(DX) so that we might die to sins^(DY) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^(DZ) ²⁵For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[i]^(EA) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(EB) and Overseer of your souls.^(EC)