Proverbs 30:18-33

New International Version

¹⁸“There are three things that are too amazing for me,
    four that I do not understand:
¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰“This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’^(A)

²¹“Under three things the earth trembles,
    under four it cannot bear up:
²²a servant who becomes king,^(B)
    a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
²³a contemptible woman who gets married,
    and a servant who displaces her mistress.

²⁴“Four things on earth are small,
    yet they are extremely wise:
²⁵Ants are creatures of little strength,
    yet they store up their food in the summer;^(C)
²⁶hyraxes^(D) are creatures of little power,
    yet they make their home in the crags;
²⁷locusts^(E) have no king,
    yet they advance together in ranks;
²⁸a lizard can be caught with the hand,
    yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

²⁹“There are three things that are stately in their stride,
    four that move with stately bearing:
³⁰a lion, mighty among beasts,
    who retreats before nothing;
³¹a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
    and a king secure against revolt.^[a]

³²“If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
    or if you plan evil,
    clap your hand over your mouth!^(F)
³³For as churning cream produces butter,
    and as twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.”

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Footnotes

Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

Luke 1:1-25

New International Version

Introduction^(A)

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled^[a] among us, ²just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first^(B) were eyewitnesses^(C) and servants of the word.^(D) ³With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account^(E) for you, most excellent^(F) Theophilus,^(G) ⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.^(H)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵In the time of Herod king of Judea^(I) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;^(J) his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.^(K) ⁷But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

⁸Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,^(L) ⁹he was chosen by lot,^(M) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.^(N) ¹⁰And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.^(O)

¹¹Then an angel^(P) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.^(Q) ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.^(R) ¹³But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,^(S) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.^(T) ¹⁴He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^(U) ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^(V) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(W) even before he is born.^(X) ¹⁶He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he will go on before the Lord,^(Y) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(Z) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(AA) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(AB)

¹⁸Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^(AC) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^(AD)

¹⁹The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(AE) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰And now you will be silent and not able to speak^(AF) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²²When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs^(AG) to them but remained unable to speak.

²³When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace^(AH) among the people.”

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