Blessings for Obedience

28 “And (A)if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you (B)high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and (C)overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and (D)blessed shall you be in the field.

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Blessings for Obedience

28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow(A) all his commands(B) I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.(C) All these blessings will come on you(D) and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

You will be blessed(E) in the city and blessed in the country.(F)

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19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, (A)blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice (B)and holding fast to him, for (C)he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in (D)the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

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19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you(A) that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.(B) Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love(C) the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,(D) and he will give(E) you many years in the land(F) he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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The Law of the Lord Is Perfect

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

19 (A)The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
(B)Their (C)voice[b] goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for (D)the sun,

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 19:1 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6–8
  2. Psalm 19:4 Or Their measuring line

Psalm 19[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The heavens(A) declare(B) the glory of God;(C)
    the skies(D) proclaim the work of his hands.(E)
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.(F)
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.(G)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent(H) for the sun.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.
  2. Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew measuring line

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us (A)kneel before the Lord, our (B)Maker!
For he is our (C)God,
    and we are the people of his (D)pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
(E)Today, if you (F)hear his voice,
    (G)do not harden your hearts, as at (H)Meribah,
    as on the day at (I)Massah in the wilderness,

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Come, let us bow down(A) in worship,(B)
    let us kneel(C) before the Lord our Maker;(D)
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,(E)
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
“Do not harden your hearts(F) as you did at Meribah,[a](G)
    as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 95:8 Meribah means quarreling.
  2. Psalm 95:8 Massah means testing.

The Call of Wisdom

20 (A)Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
    in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
    at (B)the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O (C)simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will (D)scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools (E)hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,[a]
behold, I will (F)pour out my spirit to you;
    I will make my words known to you.
24 (G)Because I have called and (H)you refused to listen,
    have (I)stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have (J)ignored all my counsel
    and (K)would have none of my reproof,
26 I also (L)will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when (M)terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like (N)a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 (O)Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they (P)hated knowledge
    and (Q)did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (R)would have none of my counsel
    and (S)despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat (T)the fruit of their way,
    and have (U)their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by (V)their turning away,
    and (W)the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but (X)whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be (Y)at ease, without dread of disaster.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?

Wisdom’s Rebuke

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

22 “How long will you who are simple(B) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate(C) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse(D) to listen when I call(E)
    and no one pays attention(F) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(G) when disaster(H) strikes you;
    I will mock(I) when calamity overtakes you(J)
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster(K) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners

The Value of Wisdom

(A)My son, (B)if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice (C)for understanding,
if you seek it like (D)silver
    and search for it as for (E)hidden treasures,
then (F)you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For (G)the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is (H)a shield to those who (I)walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
    and (J)watching over the way of his (K)saints.
(L)Then you will understand (M)righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 (N)discretion will (O)watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to (P)walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who (Q)rejoice in doing evil
    and (R)delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose (S)paths are crooked,
    (T)and who are (U)devious in their ways.

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Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son,(A) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding(B)
indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.(E)
For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield(H) to those whose walk is blameless,(I)
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.(J)

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

12 Wisdom will save(N) you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,(O)
14 who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,(P)
15 whose paths are crooked(Q)
    and who are devious in their ways.(R)

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20 And though the Lord give you the (A)bread of adversity and the (B)water of affliction, (C)yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 (D)And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is (E)the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. (F)You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”

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20 Although the Lord gives you the bread(A) of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers(B) will be hidden(C) no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice(D) behind you, saying, “This is the way;(E) walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idols(F) overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold;(G) you will throw them away like a menstrual(H) cloth and say to them, “Away with you!(I)

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17 (A)If anyone's will is to do God's[a] will, (B)he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I (C)am speaking on my own authority.

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Footnotes

  1. John 7:17 Greek his

17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out(A) whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

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The Truth Will Set You Free

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, (A)“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will (B)know the truth, and the truth (C)will set you free.” 33 They answered him, (D)“We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

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Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,(A) you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(B)

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants(C) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

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