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Proverbs 25:2
New Living Translation
Proverbs 25:2
New Living Translation
2 It is God’s privilege to conceal things
and the king’s privilege to discover them.
Proverbs 25:2
New International Version
Proverbs 25:2
New International Version
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.(A)
Deuteronomy 29:29
New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 29:29
New Living Translation
29 “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.
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Deuteronomy 29:29
New International Version
Deuteronomy 29:29
New International Version
29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God,(A) but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.(B)
Romans 11:33-34
New Living Translation
Romans 11:33-34
New Living Translation
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?[a]
Romans 11:33-34
New International Version
Romans 11:33-34
New International Version
Doxology
Footnotes
- Romans 11:33 Or riches and the wisdom and the
- Romans 11:34 Isaiah 40:13
Job 11:7-8
New Living Translation
Job 11:7-8
New Living Translation
7 “Can you solve the mysteries of God?
Can you discover everything about the Almighty?
8 Such knowledge is higher than the heavens—
and who are you?
It is deeper than the underworld[a]—
what do you know?
Footnotes
- 11:8 Hebrew than Sheol.
Job 42:3
New Living Translation
Job 42:3
New Living Translation
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.
Job 42:3
New International Version
Job 42:3
New International Version
Job 38:4-39:30
New Living Translation
Job 38:4-39:30
New Living Translation
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.
5 Who determined its dimensions
and stretched out the surveying line?
6 What supports its foundations,
and who laid its cornerstone
7 as the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?
8 “Who kept the sea inside its boundaries
as it burst from the womb,
9 and as I clothed it with clouds
and wrapped it in thick darkness?
10 For I locked it behind barred gates,
limiting its shores.
11 I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.
Here your proud waves must stop!’
12 “Have you ever commanded the morning to appear
and caused the dawn to rise in the east?
13 Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth,
to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?
14 As the light approaches,
the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal;
it is robed in brilliant colors.[b]
15 The light disturbs the wicked
and stops the arm that is raised in violence.
16 “Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?
Have you explored their depths?
17 Do you know where the gates of death are located?
Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?
18 Do you realize the extent of the earth?
Tell me about it if you know!
19 “Where does light come from,
and where does darkness go?
20 Can you take each to its home?
Do you know how to get there?
21 But of course you know all this!
For you were born before it was all created,
and you are so very experienced!
22 “Have you visited the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of hail?
23 (I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war.)
24 Where is the path to the source of light?
Where is the home of the east wind?
25 “Who created a channel for the torrents of rain?
Who laid out the path for the lightning?
26 Who makes the rain fall on barren land,
in a desert where no one lives?
27 Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground
and make the tender grass spring up?
28 “Does the rain have a father?
Who gives birth to the dew?
29 Who is the mother of the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?
30 For the water turns to ice as hard as rock,
and the surface of the water freezes.
31 “Can you direct the movement of the stars—
binding the cluster of the Pleiades
or loosening the cords of Orion?
32 Can you direct the constellations through the seasons
or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?
33 Do you know the laws of the universe?
Can you use them to regulate the earth?
34 “Can you shout to the clouds
and make it rain?
35 Can you make lightning appear
and cause it to strike as you direct?
36 Who gives intuition to the heart
and instinct to the mind?
37 Who is wise enough to count all the clouds?
Who can tilt the water jars of heaven
38 when the parched ground is dry
and the soil has hardened into clods?
39 “Can you stalk prey for a lioness
and satisfy the young lions’ appetites
40 as they lie in their dens
or crouch in the thicket?
41 Who provides food for the ravens
when their young cry out to God
and wander about in hunger?
The Lord’s Challenge Continues
39 “Do you know when the wild goats give birth?
Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?
2 Do you know how many months they carry their young?
Are you aware of the time of their delivery?
3 They crouch down to give birth to their young
and deliver their offspring.
4 Their young grow up in the open fields,
then leave home and never return.
5 “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom?
Who untied its ropes?
6 I have placed it in the wilderness;
its home is the wasteland.
7 It hates the noise of the city
and has no driver to shout at it.
8 The mountains are its pastureland,
where it searches for every blade of grass.
9 “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed?
Will it spend the night in your stall?
10 Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow?
Will it plow a field for you?
11 Given its strength, can you trust it?
Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?
12 Can you rely on it to bring home your grain
and deliver it to your threshing floor?
13 “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly,
but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.
14 She lays her eggs on top of the earth,
letting them be warmed in the dust.
15 She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them
or a wild animal might destroy them.
16 She is harsh toward her young,
as if they were not her own.
She doesn’t care if they die.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom.
He has given her no understanding.
18 But whenever she jumps up to run,
she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.
19 “Have you given the horse its strength
or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?
Its majestic snorting is terrifying!
21 It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength
when it charges out to battle.
22 It laughs at fear and is unafraid.
It does not run from the sword.
23 The arrows rattle against it,
and the spear and javelin flash.
24 It paws the ground fiercely
and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.
25 It snorts at the sound of the horn.
It senses the battle in the distance.
It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.
26 “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar
and spread its wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle rises
to the heights to make its nest?
28 It lives on the cliffs,
making its home on a distant, rocky crag.
29 From there it hunts its prey,
keeping watch with piercing eyes.
30 Its young gulp down blood.
Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”
Job 38:4-39:30
New International Version
Job 38:4-39:30
New International Version
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(A)
Tell me, if you understand.(B)
5 Who marked off its dimensions?(C) Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line(D) across it?
6 On what were its footings set,(E)
or who laid its cornerstone(F)—
7 while the morning stars(G) sang together(H)
and all the angels[a](I) shouted for joy?(J)
8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors(K)
when it burst forth from the womb,(L)
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,(M)
10 when I fixed limits for it(N)
and set its doors and bars in place,(O)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;(P)
here is where your proud waves halt’?(Q)
12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,(R)
or shown the dawn its place,(S)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked(T) out of it?(U)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;(V)
its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,(W)
and their upraised arm is broken.(X)
16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?(Y)
17 Have the gates of death(Z) been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?(AA)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?(AB)
Tell me, if you know all this.(AC)
19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?(AD)
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths(AE) to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!(AF)
You have lived so many years!
22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow(AG)
or seen the storehouses(AH) of the hail,(AI)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,(AJ)
for days of war and battle?(AK)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,(AL)
or the place where the east winds(AM) are scattered over the earth?(AN)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,(AO)
26 to water(AP) a land where no one lives,
an uninhabited desert,(AQ)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?(AR)
28 Does the rain have a father?(AS)
Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens(AT)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?(AU)
31 “Can you bind the chains[b] of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(AV)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(AW) in their seasons[c]
or lead out the Bear[d] with its cubs?(AX)
33 Do you know the laws(AY) of the heavens?(AZ)
Can you set up God’s[e] dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?(BA)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?(BB)
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[f](BC)
or gives the rooster understanding?[g](BD)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars(BE) of the heavens(BF)
38 when the dust becomes hard(BG)
and the clods of earth stick together?(BH)
39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions(BI)
40 when they crouch in their dens(BJ)
or lie in wait in a thicket?(BK)
41 Who provides food(BL) for the raven(BM)
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?(BN)
39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(BO) give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(BP)
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
Do you know the time they give birth?(BQ)
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;
their labor pains are ended.
4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
they leave and do not return.
5 “Who let the wild donkey(BR) go free?
Who untied its ropes?
6 I gave it the wasteland(BS) as its home,
the salt flats(BT) as its habitat.(BU)
7 It laughs(BV) at the commotion in the town;
it does not hear a driver’s shout.(BW)
8 It ranges the hills(BX) for its pasture
and searches for any green thing.
9 “Will the wild ox(BY) consent to serve you?(BZ)
Will it stay by your manger(CA) at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?(CB)
Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?(CC)
Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain
and bring it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
though they cannot compare
with the wings and feathers of the stork.(CD)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
that some wild animal may trample them.(CE)
16 She treats her young harshly,(CF) as if they were not hers;
she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
or give her a share of good sense.(CG)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
she laughs(CH) at horse and rider.
19 “Do you give the horse its strength(CI)
or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(CJ)
striking terror(CK) with its proud snorting?(CL)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(CM)
and charges into the fray.(CN)
22 It laughs(CO) at fear, afraid of nothing;
it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(CP) rattles against its side,
along with the flashing spear(CQ) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(CR)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(CS) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
It catches the scent of battle from afar,
the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(CT)
26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
and spread its wings toward the south?(CU)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
and build its nest on high?(CV)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
a rocky crag(CW) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(CX)
its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
and where the slain are, there it is.”(CY)
Footnotes
- Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
- Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
- Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
- Job 38:32 Or out Leo
- Job 38:33 Or their
- Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
- Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
1 Kings 4:29-34
New Living Translation
1 Kings 4:29-34
New Living Translation
29 God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. 30 In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. 32 He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. 33 He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. 34 And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.
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1 Kings 4:29-34
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1 Kings 4:29-34
New International Version
Solomon’s Wisdom
29 God gave Solomon wisdom(A) and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand(B) on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,(C) and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.(D) 31 He was wiser(E) than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs(F) and his songs(G) numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop(H) that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings(I) of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.[a]
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 4:34 In Hebrew texts 4:21-34 is numbered 5:1-14.
Job 29:16
New Living Translation
Job 29:16
New Living Translation
16 I was a father to the poor
and assisted strangers who needed help.
Job 29:16
New International Version
Job 29:16
New International Version
1 Kings 3:9-28
New Living Translation
1 Kings 3:9-28
New Living Translation
9 Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”
15 Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.
Solomon Judges Wisely
16 Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. 17 “Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. 18 Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house.
19 “But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. 20 Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. 21 And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”
22 Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”
“No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.
23 Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. 24 All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.
25 Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”
26 Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!”
But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”
27 Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”
28 When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.
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1 Kings 3:9-28
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1 Kings 3:9-28
New International Version
9 So give your servant a discerning(A) heart to govern your people and to distinguish(B) between right and wrong. For who is able(C) to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked(D) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment(E) in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked.(F) I will give you a wise(G) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not(H) asked for—both wealth and honor(I)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal(J) among kings. 14 And if you walk(K) in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”(L) 15 Then Solomon awoke(M)—and he realized it had been a dream.(N)
He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings(O) and fellowship offerings.(P) Then he gave a feast(Q) for all his court.
A Wise Ruling
16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”
22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”
But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.
23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved(R) out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”
28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom(S) from God to administer justice.
Ezra 4:15
New Living Translation
Ezra 4:15
New Living Translation
15 We suggest that a search be made in your ancestors’ records, where you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past. In fact, it was destroyed because of its long and troublesome history of revolt against the kings and countries who controlled it.
Ezra 4:15
New International Version
Ezra 4:15
New International Version
Ezra 4:19
New Living Translation
Ezra 4:19
New Living Translation
19 I ordered a search of the records and have found that Jerusalem has indeed been a hotbed of insurrection against many kings. In fact, rebellion and revolt are normal there!
Ezra 4:19
New International Version
Ezra 4:19
New International Version
19 I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt(A) against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition.
Job 40:2
New Living Translation
Job 40:2
New Living Translation
2 “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”
Job 40:2
New International Version
Job 40:2
New International Version
Ezra 5:17-6:1
New Living Translation
Ezra 5:17-6:1
New Living Translation
17 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, we request that a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to discover whether King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild God’s Temple in Jerusalem. And then let the king send us his decision in this matter.”
Darius Approves the Rebuilding
6 So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, which were stored in the treasury.
Ezra 5:17-6:1
New International Version
Ezra 5:17-6:1
New International Version
17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives(A) of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
The Decree of Darius
6 King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives(B) stored in the treasury at Babylon.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.