1 Timothy 4

New International Version

4 The Spirit^(A) clearly says that in later times^(B) some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits^(C) and things taught by demons. ²Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.^(D) ³They forbid people to marry^(E) and order them to abstain from certain foods,^(F) which God created^(G) to be received with thanksgiving^(H) by those who believe and who know the truth. ⁴For everything God created is good,^(I) and nothing is to be rejected^(J) if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵because it is consecrated by the word of God^(K) and prayer.

⁶If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,^[a] you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith^(L) and of the good teaching that you have followed.^(M) ⁷Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales;^(N) rather, train yourself to be godly.^(O) ⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,^(P) holding promise for both the present life^(Q) and the life to come.^(R) ⁹This is a trustworthy saying^(S) that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God,^(T) who is the Savior of all people,^(U) and especially of those who believe.

¹¹Command and teach these things.^(V) ¹²Don’t let anyone look down on you^(W) because you are young, but set an example^(X) for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith^(Y) and in purity. ¹³Until I come,^(Z) devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture,^(AA) to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy^(AB) when the body of elders^(AC) laid their hands on you.^(AD)

¹⁵Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save^(AE) both yourself and your hearers.

Footnotes

1 Timothy 4:6 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.

Psalm 149 - Proverbs 2

New International Version

Psalm 149

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]^(A)

Sing to the Lord a new song,^(B)
his praise in the assembly^(C) of his faithful people.

²Let Israel rejoice^(D) in their Maker;^(E)
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.^(F)
³Let them praise his name with dancing^(G)
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp.^(H)
⁴For the Lord takes delight^(I) in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.^(J)
⁵Let his faithful people rejoice^(K) in this honor
    and sing for joy on their beds.^(L)

⁶May the praise of God be in their mouths^(M)
    and a double-edged^(N) sword in their hands,^(O)
⁷to inflict vengeance^(P) on the nations
    and punishment^(Q) on the peoples,
⁸to bind their kings with fetters,^(R)
    their nobles with shackles of iron,^(S)
⁹to carry out the sentence written against them—^(T)
    this is the glory of all his faithful people.^(U)

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 150

¹Praise the Lord.^[b]^(V)

Praise God in his sanctuary;^(W)
    praise him in his mighty heavens.^(X)
²Praise him for his acts of power;^(Y)
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.^(Z)
³Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,^(AA)
    praise him with the harp and lyre,^(AB)
⁴praise him with timbrel and dancing,^(AC)
    praise him with the strings^(AD) and pipe,^(AE)
⁵praise him with the clash of cymbals,^(AF)
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶Let everything^(AG) that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Purpose and Theme

1 The proverbs^(AH) of Solomon^(AI) son of David, king of Israel:^(AJ)

²for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
³for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
⁴for giving prudence to those who are simple,^[c]^(AK)
    knowledge and discretion^(AL) to the young—
⁵let the wise listen and add to their learning,^(AM)
    and let the discerning get guidance—
⁶for understanding proverbs and parables,^(AN)
    the sayings and riddles^(AO) of the wise.^[d]^(AP)

⁷The fear of the Lord^(AQ) is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools^[e] despise wisdom^(AR) and instruction.^(AS)

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

⁸Listen, my son,^(AT) to your father’s^(AU) instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.^(AV)
⁹They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.^(AW)

¹⁰My son, if sinful men entice^(AX) you,
    do not give in^(AY) to them.^(AZ)
¹¹If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait^(BA) for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
¹²let’s swallow^(BB) them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;^(BC)
¹³we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot^(BD)”—
¹⁵my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot^(BE) on their paths;^(BF)
¹⁶for their feet rush into evil,^(BG)
    they are swift to shed blood.^(BH)
¹⁷How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
¹⁸These men lie in wait^(BI) for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!^(BJ)
¹⁹Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.^(BK)

Wisdom’s Rebuke

²⁰Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,^(BL)
she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹on top of the wall^[f] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:

²²“How long will you who are simple^(BM) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate^(BN) knowledge?
²³Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴But since you refuse^(BO) to listen when I call^(BP)
    and no one pays attention^(BQ) when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶I in turn will laugh^(BR) when disaster^(BS) strikes you;
    I will mock^(BT) when calamity overtakes you^(BU)—
²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster^(BV) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;^(BW)
    they will look for me but will not find me,^(BX)
²⁹since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.^(BY)
³⁰Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,^(BZ)
³¹they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.^(CA)
³²For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;^(CB)
³³but whoever listens to me will live in safety^(CC)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”^(CD)

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

2 My son,^(CE) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
²turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding^(CF)—
³indeed, if you call out for insight^(CG)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,^(CH)
⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.^(CI)
⁶For the Lord gives wisdom;^(CJ)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.^(CK)
⁷He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield^(CL) to those whose walk is blameless,^(CM)
⁸for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.^(CN)

⁹Then you will understand^(CO) what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart,^(CP)
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.^(CQ)

¹²Wisdom will save^(CR) you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
¹³who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,^(CS)
¹⁴who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,^(CT)
¹⁵whose paths are crooked^(CU)
    and who are devious in their ways.^(CV)

¹⁶Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,^(CW)
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
¹⁷who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.^[g]^(CX)
¹⁸Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.^(CY)
¹⁹None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.^(CZ)

²⁰Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹For the upright will live in the land,^(DA)
    and the blameless will remain in it;
²²but the wicked^(DB) will be cut off from the land,^(DC)
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.^(DD)

Footnotes

Psalm 149:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9
Psalm 150:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 6
Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners
Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God