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When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, not by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.(A)

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37 So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.(A)

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And he said, “Hear my words:

When there are prophets among you,
    I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
    I speak to them in dreams.(A)

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21 But he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision of the Urim before the Lord; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the Israelites with him, the whole congregation.”(A)

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You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.(A)

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Her gates have sunk into the ground;
    he has ruined and broken her bars;
her king and princes are among the nations;
    guidance is no more,
and her prophets obtain
    no vision from the Lord.(A)

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31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.(A)

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20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

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Israel’s Continuing Rebellion

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain elders of Israel came to consult the Lord and sat down before me.(A) And the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Why are you coming? To consult me? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be consulted by you.

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28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord.(A)

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And of Levi he said,

“Give to Levi[a] your Thummim
    and your Urim to your loyal one,
whom you tested at Massah,
    with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah,(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 33.8 Q ms Gk: MT lacks Give to Levi

30 In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord; thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the Israelites on his heart before the Lord continually.(A)

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27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
    for you do not know what a day may bring.(A)
Let another praise you and not your own mouth,
    a stranger and not your own lips.(B)
A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.(C)
Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
    but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.(D)
Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts,
    but profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
The sated appetite spurns honey,
    but to a ravenous appetite even the bitter is sweet.(E)
Like a bird that strays from its nest
    is one who strays from home.
Perfume and incense make the heart glad,
    but the soul is torn by trouble.[a]
10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent;
    do not go to the house of your kindred in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is nearby
    than kindred who are far away.(F)
11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,
    so that I may answer whoever reproaches me.(G)
12 The clever see danger and hide,
    but the simple go on and suffer for it.(H)
13 Take the garment of one who has given surety for a stranger;
    seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners.[b](I)
14 Whoever blesses a neighbor with a loud voice,
    rising early in the morning,
    will be counted as cursing.
15 A continual dripping on a rainy day
    and a contentious wife are alike;(J)
16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind
    or to grasp oil in the right hand.[c]
17 Iron sharpens iron,
    and one person sharpens the wits[d] of another.
18 Anyone who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and anyone who takes care of a master will be honored.(K)
19 Just as water reflects the face,
    so one human heart reflects another.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
    and human eyes are never satisfied.(L)
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    so a person is tested[e] by being praised.(M)
22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
    along with crushed grain,
    but the folly will not be driven out.(N)

23 Know well the condition of your flocks,
    and give attention to your herds,
24 for riches do not last forever,
    nor a crown for all generations.(O)
25 When the grass is gone, and new growth appears,
    and the herbage of the mountains is gathered,(P)
26 the lambs will provide your clothing,
    and the goats the price of a field;
27 there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
    for the food of your household
    and nourishment for your female servants.

28 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
    but the righteous are as bold as a lion.(Q)
When a land rebels
    it has many rulers;
but with an intelligent[f] person, honesty endures.(R)
A poor person who oppresses the poor
    is a beating rain that leaves no food.(S)
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
    but those who keep the law struggle against them.(T)
The evil do not understand justice,
    but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.(U)
Better to be poor and walk in integrity
    than to be crooked in one’s ways even though rich.(V)
Those who keep the law are wise children,
    but companions of gluttons shame their parents.(W)
One who augments wealth by exorbitant interest
    gathers it for another who is kind to the poor.(X)
When one will not listen to the law,
    even one’s prayers are an abomination.(Y)
10 Those who mislead the upright into evil ways
    will fall into pits of their own making,
    but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.(Z)
11 The rich is wise in self-esteem,
    but an intelligent poor person sees through the pose.(AA)
12 When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory,
    but when the wicked prevail, people go into hiding.(AB)
13 No one who conceals transgressions will prosper,
    but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.(AC)
14 Happy is the one who is never without fear,
    but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity.(AD)
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
    is a wicked ruler over a poor people.(AE)
16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
    but one who hates unjust gain will enjoy a long life.
17 If someone is burdened with the blood of another,
    let that killer be a fugitive until death;
    let no one offer assistance.(AF)
18 One who walks in integrity will be safe,
    but whoever follows crooked ways will fall into the Pit.[g](AG)
19 Anyone who tills the land will have plenty of bread,
    but one who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.(AH)
20 The faithful will abound with blessings,
    but one who is in a hurry to be rich will not go unpunished.(AI)
21 To show partiality is not good,
    yet for a piece of bread a person may do wrong.
22 The miser is in a hurry to get rich
    and does not know that loss is sure to come.
23 Whoever rebukes a person will afterward find more favor
    than one who flatters with the tongue.(AJ)
24 Anyone who robs father or mother
    and says, “That is no crime,”
    is partner to a thug.(AK)
25 The greedy person stirs up strife,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord will be enriched.(AL)
26 Those who trust in their own wits are fools,
    but those who walk in wisdom come through safely.
27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,
    but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse.(AM)
28 When the wicked prevail, people go into hiding,
    but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Footnotes

  1. 27.9 Gk: Heb the sweetness of a friend is better than one’s own counsel
  2. 27.13 Vg and 20.16: Heb for a foreign woman
  3. 27.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 27.17 Heb face
  5. 27.21 Heb lacks is tested
  6. 28.2 Heb intelligent knowledgeable
  7. 28.18 Syr: Heb fall all at once

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:(A)

Prologue

For learning about wisdom and instruction,
    for understanding words of insight,
for gaining instruction in wise dealing,
    righteousness, justice, and equity;(B)
to teach shrewdness to the simple,
    knowledge and prudence to the young—(C)
let the wise, too, hear and gain in learning
    and the discerning acquire skill,(D)
to understand a proverb and a figure,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.(E)

Warnings against Evil Companions

Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
    and do not reject your mother’s teaching,(F)
for they are a fair garland for your head
    and pendants for your neck.(G)
10 My child, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.(H)
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
    let us wantonly ambush the innocent;(I)
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive
    and whole, like those who go down to the Pit.(J)
13 We shall find all kinds of costly things;
    we shall fill our houses with spoil.
14 Throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
15 my child, do not walk in their way;
    keep your foot from their paths,(K)
16 for their feet run to evil,
    and they hurry to shed blood.(L)
17 For in vain is the net baited
    while the bird is looking on;
18 yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves!
    and set an ambush—for their own lives!
19 Such is the end[a] of all who are greedy for gain;
    it takes away the life of its possessors.(M)

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom cries out in the street;
    in the squares she raises her voice.(N)
21 At the busiest corner she cries out;
    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?(O)
23 Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
    I will make my words known to you.(P)
24 Because I have called and you refused,
    have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,(Q)
25 and because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,(R)
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when panic strikes you,(S)
27 when panic strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.(T)
29 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,(U)
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
    and be sated with their own devices.(V)
32 For waywardness kills the simple,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;(W)
33 but those who listen to me will be secure
    and will live at ease without dread of disaster.”(X)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.19 Gk: Heb are the ways

We do not see our emblems;
    there is no longer any prophet,
    and there is no one among us who knows how long.(A)

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20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree.

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God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.”(A) Then he said, “I am God,[a] the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.(B) I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.”(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 46.3 Heb the God

12 And he dreamed that there was a stairway[a] set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.(A) 13 And the Lord stood beside him[b] and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring,(B) 14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed[c] in you and in your offspring.(C) 15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 28.12 Or ramp
  2. 28.13 Or stood above it
  3. 28.14 Or shall bless themselves

14 For God speaks in one way
    and in two, though people do not perceive it.(A)
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on mortals,
    while they slumber on their beds,(B)
16 then he opens their ears
    and terrifies them with warnings,(C)

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13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was unfaithful to the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord; moreover, he had consulted a medium, seeking guidance,(A) 14 and did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord[a] put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 10.14 Heb he