2 John

New International Version

¹The elder,^(A)

To the lady chosen by God^(B) and to her children, whom I love in the truth^(C)—and not I only, but also all who know the truth^(D)— ²because of the truth,^(E) which lives in us^(F) and will be with us forever:

³Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ,^(G) the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

⁴It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth,^(H) just as the Father commanded us. ⁵And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.^(I) I ask that we love one another. ⁶And this is love:^(J) that we walk in obedience to his commands.^(K) As you have heard from the beginning,^(L) his command is that you walk in love.

⁷I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ^(M) as coming in the flesh,^(N) have gone out into the world.^(O) Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.^(P) ⁸Watch out that you do not lose what we^[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.^(Q) ⁹Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ^(R) does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.^(S) ¹⁰If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.^(T) ¹¹Anyone who welcomes them shares^(U) in their wicked work.

¹²I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face,^(V) so that our joy may be complete.^(W)

¹³The children of your sister, who is chosen by God,^(X) send their greetings.

Footnotes

2 John 1:8 Some manuscripts you

Proverbs 1-2

New International Version

Purpose and Theme

1 The proverbs^(A) of Solomon^(B) son of David, king of Israel:^(C)

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,^[a]^(D)
    knowledge and discretion^(E) to the young—
⁵let the wise listen and add to their learning,^(F)
    and let the discerning get guidance—
⁶for understanding proverbs and parables,^(G)
    the sayings and riddles^(H) of the wise.^[b]^(I)

⁷The fear of the Lord^(J) is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools^[c] despise wisdom^(K) and instruction.^(L)

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

⁸Listen, my son,^(M) to your father’s^(N) instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.^(O)
⁹They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.^(P)

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

Wisdom’s Rebuke

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

²²“How long will you who are simple^(AF) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate^(AG) 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^(AH) to listen when I call^(AI)
    and no one pays attention^(AJ) when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶I in turn will laugh^(AK) when disaster^(AL) strikes you;
    I will mock^(AM) when calamity overtakes you^(AN)—
²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster^(AO) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

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

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

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

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

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

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

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,^(BT)
    and the blameless will remain in it;
²²but the wicked^(BU) will be cut off from the land,^(BV)
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.^(BW)

Footnotes

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