Proverbs 8-10

New International Version

Wisdom’s Call

8 Does not wisdom call out?^(A)
    Does not understanding raise her voice?
²At the highest point along the way,
    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
³beside the gate leading into the city,
    at the entrance, she cries aloud:^(B)
⁴“To you, O people, I call out;^(C)
    I raise my voice to all mankind.
⁵You who are simple,^(D) gain prudence;^(E)
    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.^[a]
⁶Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
    I open my lips to speak what is right.
⁷My mouth speaks what is true,^(F)
    for my lips detest wickedness.
⁸All the words of my mouth are just;
    none of them is crooked or perverse.
⁹To the discerning all of them are right;
    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
¹⁰Choose my instruction instead of silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold,^(G)
¹¹for wisdom is more precious^(H) than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.^(I)

¹²“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.^(J)
¹³To fear the Lord^(K) is to hate evil;^(L)
    I hate^(M) pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.^(N)
¹⁵By me kings reign
    and rulers^(O) issue decrees that are just;
¹⁶by me princes govern,^(P)
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.^[b]
¹⁷I love those who love me,^(Q)
    and those who seek me find me.^(R)
¹⁸With me are riches and honor,^(S)
    enduring wealth and prosperity.^(T)
¹⁹My fruit is better than fine gold;^(U)
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.^(V)
²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,^(W)
    along the paths of justice,
²¹bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.^(X)

²²“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,^[c]^[d]
    before his deeds of old;
²³I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;^(Y)
²⁵before the mountains were settled in place,^(Z)
    before the hills, I was given birth,^(AA)
²⁶before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.^(AB)
²⁷I was there when he set the heavens in place,^(AC)
    when he marked out the horizon^(AD) on the face of the deep,
²⁸when he established the clouds above^(AE)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,^(AF)
²⁹when he gave the sea its boundary^(AG)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,^(AH)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.^(AI)
³⁰    Then I was constantly^[e] at his side.^(AJ)
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
³¹rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.^(AK)

³²“Now then, my children, listen^(AL) to me;
    blessed are^(AM) those who keep my ways.^(AN)
³³Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
³⁴Blessed are those who listen^(AO) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵For those who find me^(AP) find life^(AQ)
    and receive favor from the Lord.^(AR)
³⁶But those who fail to find me harm themselves;^(AS)
    all who hate me love death.”^(AT)

Invitations of Wisdom and Folly

9 Wisdom has built^(AU) her house;
    she has set up^[f] its seven pillars.
²She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;^(AV)
    she has also set her table.^(AW)
³She has sent out her servants, and she calls^(AX)
    from the highest point of the city,^(AY)
⁴    “Let all who are simple^(AZ) come to my house!”
To those who have no sense^(BA) she says,
⁵    “Come,^(BB) eat my food
    and drink the wine I have mixed.^(BC)
⁶Leave your simple ways and you will live;^(BD)
    walk in the way of insight.”^(BE)

⁷Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
    whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.^(BF)
⁸Do not rebuke mockers^(BG) or they will hate you;
    rebuke the wise and they will love you.^(BH)
⁹Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
    teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.^(BI)

¹⁰The fear of the Lord^(BJ) is the beginning of wisdom,
    and knowledge of the Holy One^(BK) is understanding.^(BL)
¹¹For through wisdom^[g] your days will be many,
    and years will be added to your life.^(BM)
¹²If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
    if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

¹³Folly is an unruly woman;^(BN)
    she is simple and knows nothing.^(BO)
¹⁴She sits at the door of her house,
    on a seat at the highest point of the city,^(BP)
¹⁵calling out^(BQ) to those who pass by,
    who go straight on their way,
¹⁶    “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense^(BR) she says,
¹⁷    “Stolen water is sweet;
    food eaten in secret is delicious!^(BS)”
¹⁸But little do they know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.^(BT)

Proverbs of Solomon

10 The proverbs^(BU) of Solomon:^(BV)

A wise son brings joy to his father,^(BW)
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

²Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,^(BX)
but righteousness delivers from death.^(BY)

³The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,^(BZ)
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.^(CA)

⁴Lazy hands make for poverty,^(CB)
but diligent hands bring wealth.^(CC)

⁵He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.^(CD)

⁶Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.^[h]^(CE)

⁷The name of the righteous^(CF) is used in blessings,^[i]
but the name of the wicked^(CG) will rot.^(CH)

⁸The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.^(CI)

⁹Whoever walks in integrity^(CJ) walks securely,^(CK)
but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.^(CL)

¹⁰Whoever winks maliciously^(CM) causes grief,
and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,^(CN)
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.^(CO)

¹²Hatred stirs up conflict,
but love covers over all wrongs.^(CP)

¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,^(CQ)
but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.^(CR)

¹⁴The wise store up knowledge,^(CS)
but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.^(CT)

¹⁵The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,^(CU)
but poverty is the ruin of the poor.^(CV)

¹⁶The wages of the righteous is life,^(CW)
but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.^(CX)

¹⁷Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,^(CY)
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

¹⁸Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips^(CZ)
and spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
but the prudent hold their tongues.^(DA)

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

²¹The lips of the righteous nourish many,
but fools die for lack of sense.^(DB)

²²The blessing of the Lord^(DC) brings wealth,^(DD)
without painful toil for it.^(DE)

²³A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,^(DF)
but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

²⁴What the wicked dread^(DG) will overtake them;^(DH)
what the righteous desire will be granted.^(DI)

²⁵When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
but the righteous stand firm^(DJ) forever.^(DK)

²⁶As vinegar to the teeth and smoke^(DL) to the eyes,
so are sluggards to those who send them.^(DM)

²⁷The fear of the Lord adds length to life,^(DN)
but the years of the wicked are cut short.^(DO)

²⁸The prospect of the righteous is joy,
but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.^(DP)

²⁹The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless,
but it is the ruin of those who do evil.^(DQ)

³⁰The righteous will never be uprooted,
but the wicked will not remain in the land.^(DR)

³¹From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,^(DS)
but a perverse tongue^(DT) will be silenced.

³²The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,^(DU)
but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.^(DV)

Footnotes

Proverbs 8:5 Septuagint; Hebrew foolish, instruct your minds
Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers
Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work
Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child
Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out
Proverbs 9:11 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew me
Proverbs 10:6 Or righteous, / but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence
Proverbs 10:7 See Gen. 48:20.

1 Timothy 6

New International Version

6 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect,^(A) so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.^(B) ²Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers.^(C) Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare^[a] of their slaves.

False Teachers and the Love of Money

These are the things you are to teach and insist on.^(D) ³If anyone teaches otherwise^(E) and does not agree to the sound instruction^(F) of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ⁴they are conceited^(G) and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words^(H) that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ⁵and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth^(I) and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

⁶But godliness with contentment^(J) is great gain.^(K) ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.^(L) ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.^(M) ⁹Those who want to get rich^(N) fall into temptation and a trap^(O) and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money^(P) is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith^(Q) and pierced themselves with many griefs.^(R)

Final Charge to Timothy

¹¹But you, man of God,^(S) flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness,^(T) faith, love,^(U) endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight^(V) of the faith. Take hold of^(W) the eternal life^(X) to which you were called when you made your good confession^(Y) in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate^(Z) made the good confession,^(AA) I charge you^(AB) ¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame^(AC) until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(AD) ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time^(AE)—God, the blessed^(AF) and only Ruler,^(AG) the King of kings and Lord of lords,^(AH) ¹⁶who alone is immortal^(AI) and who lives in unapproachable light,^(AJ) whom no one has seen or can see.^(AK) To him be honor and might forever. Amen.^(AL)

¹⁷Command those who are rich^(AM) in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,^(AN) which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,^(AO) who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.^(AP) ¹⁸Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,^(AQ) and to be generous and willing to share.^(AR) ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves^(AS) as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of^(AT) the life that is truly life.

²⁰Timothy, guard what has been entrusted^(AU) to your care. Turn away from godless chatter^(AV) and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.^(AW)

Grace be with you all.^(AX)