Proverbs 20

English Standard Version

20 ^(A)Wine is a mocker, ^(B)strong drink a brawler,
    and whoever ^(C)is led astray by it is not wise.^[a]
²The terror of a king is like ^(D)the growling of a lion;
    whoever provokes him to anger ^(E)forfeits his life.
³It is an honor for a man to ^(F)keep aloof from strife,
    but every fool will be quarreling.
⁴^(G)The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
    ^(H)he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
⁵The purpose in a man's heart is like ^(I)deep water,
    but a man of understanding will draw it out.
⁶Many a man ^(J)proclaims his own steadfast love,
    but ^(K)a faithful man who can find?
⁷The righteous who ^(L)walks in his integrity—
    ^(M)blessed are his children after him!
⁸^(N)A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    ^(O)winnows all evil with his eyes.
⁹^(P)Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
    I am clean from my sin”?
¹⁰^(Q)Unequal^[b] weights and unequal measures
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
¹¹Even a child ^(R)makes himself known by his acts,
    by whether his conduct is pure and upright.^[c]
¹²^(S)The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
    ^(T)the Lord has made them both.
¹³^(U)Love not sleep, lest you ^(V)come to poverty;
    open your eyes, and you will have ^(W)plenty of bread.
¹⁴“Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
    but when he goes away, then he boasts.
¹⁵There is gold and abundance of ^(X)costly stones,
    ^(Y)but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
¹⁶^(Z)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and ^(AA)hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.^[d]
¹⁷^(AB)Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
    but afterward his mouth will be full of ^(AC)gravel.
¹⁸^(AD)Plans are established by counsel;
    by ^(AE)wise guidance ^(AF)wage war.
¹⁹Whoever ^(AG)goes about slandering reveals secrets;
    therefore do not associate with ^(AH)a simple babbler.^[e]
²⁰^(AI)If one curses his father or his mother,
    ^(AJ)his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
²¹^(AK)An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
    will not be blessed in the end.
²²Do not say, ^(AL)“I will repay evil”;
    ^(AM)wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
²³^(AN)Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,
    and ^(AO)false scales are not good.
²⁴A man's ^(AP)steps are from the Lord;
    how then can man understand his way?
²⁵It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
    and to reflect only ^(AQ)after making vows.
²⁶A wise king ^(AR)winnows the wicked
    and drives ^(AS)the wheel over them.
²⁷^(AT)The spirit^[f] of man is the lamp of the Lord,
    ^(AU)searching all ^(AV)his innermost parts.
²⁸^(AW)Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
    and by steadfast love his ^(AX)throne is upheld.
²⁹The glory of young men is their strength,
    but ^(AY)the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
³⁰^(AZ)Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
    strokes make clean ^(BA)the innermost parts.

Footnotes

Proverbs 20:1 Or will not become wise
Proverbs 20:10 Or Two kinds of; also verse 23
Proverbs 20:11 Or Even a child can dissemble in his actions, though his conduct seems pure and upright
Proverbs 20:16 Or for an adulteress (compare 27:13)
Proverbs 20:19 Hebrew with one who is simple in his lips
Proverbs 20:27 Hebrew breath

Isaiah 46-47

English Standard Version

The Idols of Babylon and the One True God

46 ^(A)Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;
    their idols are on beasts and livestock;
these things you carry are borne
    as burdens on weary beasts.
²They stoop; they bow down together;
    they cannot save the burden,
    but ^(B)themselves go into captivity.

³“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
    all the remnant of the house of Israel,
^(C)who have been borne by me from before your birth,
    carried from the womb;
⁴^(D)even to your old age I am he,
    and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
    I will carry and will save.

⁵^(E)“To whom will you liken me and make me equal,
    and compare me, that we may be alike?
⁶^(F)Those who lavish gold from the purse,
    and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
    ^(G)then they fall down and worship!
⁷^(H)They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
    they set it in its place, and it stands there;
    ^(I)it cannot move from its place.
If one cries to it, it does not answer
    or save him from his trouble.

⁸“Remember this and stand firm,
    recall it to mind, ^(J)you transgressors,
⁹    remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me,
¹⁰^(K)declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ^(L)‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
¹¹^(M)calling a bird of prey from the east,
    the man of my counsel from a far country.
^(N)I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
    I have purposed, and I will do it.

¹²“Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,
    you who are far from righteousness:
¹³^(O)I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,
    and my salvation will not delay;
^(P)I will put salvation in Zion,
    for Israel my glory.”

The Humiliation of Babylon

47 ^(Q)Come down and sit in the dust,
    O virgin ^(R)daughter of Babylon;
^(S)sit on the ground without a throne,
    O daughter of ^(T)the Chaldeans!
^(U)For you shall no more be called
    tender and delicate.
²Take the millstones and ^(V)grind flour,
    ^(W)put off your veil,
strip off your robe, uncover your legs,
    pass through the rivers.
³Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
    and your disgrace shall be seen.
I will take vengeance,
    and I will spare no one.
⁴^(X)Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name—
    is the Holy One of Israel.

⁵^(Y)Sit in silence, and go into darkness,
    O daughter of ^(Z)the Chaldeans;
for you shall no more be called
    ^(AA)the mistress of kingdoms.
⁶^(AB)I was angry with my people;
    I profaned my heritage;
I gave them into your hand;
    ^(AC)you showed them no mercy;
on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.
⁷You said, “I shall be ^(AD)mistress forever,”
    so that you did not lay these things to heart
    or remember their end.

⁸Now therefore hear this, ^(AE)you lover of pleasures,
    ^(AF)who sit securely,
who say in your heart,
    ^(AG)“I am, and there is no one besides me;
^(AH)I shall not sit as a widow
    or know the loss of children”:
⁹^(AI)These two things shall come to you
    in a moment, ^(AJ)in one day;
the loss of children and widowhood
    shall come upon you in full measure,
^(AK)in spite of your many sorceries
    and the great power of your enchantments.

¹⁰You felt secure in your wickedness;
    you said, “No one sees me”;
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
    ^(AL)“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
¹¹But evil shall come upon you,
    which you will not know how to charm away;
disaster shall fall upon you,
    for which you will not be able to atone;
^(AM)and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,
    of which you know nothing.

¹²^(AN)Stand fast in your enchantments
    and your many sorceries,
    with which you have labored from your youth;
perhaps you may be able to succeed;
    perhaps you may inspire terror.
¹³You are wearied with your many counsels;
    let them stand forth and save you,
^(AO)those who divide the heavens,
    who gaze at the stars,
who at the new moons make known
    what shall come upon you.

¹⁴Behold, ^(AP)they are like stubble;
    ^(AQ)the fire consumes them;
they cannot deliver themselves
    from the power of the flame.
No coal for warming oneself is this,
    no fire to sit before!
¹⁵Such to you are those with whom you have labored,
    who have done business with you from your youth;
they wander about, each in his own direction;
    there is no one to save you.

James 3

English Standard Version

Taming the Tongue

3 ^(A)Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ²For ^(B)we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, ^(C)he is a perfect man, ^(D)able also to bridle his whole body. ³If we put ^(E)bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵So also the tongue is a small member, yet ^(F)it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶And ^(G)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^(H)staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,^[a] and set on fire by hell.^[b] ⁷For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^(I)full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people ^(J)who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,^[c] these things ought not to be so. ¹¹Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹²Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? ^(K)By his good conduct let him show his works ^(L)in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter ^(M)jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵This is not ^(N)the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^(O)demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷But ^(P)the wisdom from above is first pure, then ^(Q)peaceable, gentle, open to reason, ^(R)full of mercy and good fruits, ^(S)impartial and ^(T)sincere. ¹⁸And ^(U)a harvest of righteousness ^(V)is sown in peace by those who make peace.