Proverbs 28-29

New International Version

28 The wicked flee^(A) though no one pursues,^(B)
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.^(C)

²When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.

³A ruler^[a] who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
but those who heed it resist them.

⁵Evildoers do not understand what is right,
but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.^(D)

⁷A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.^(E)

⁸Whoever increases wealth by taking interest^(F) or profit from the poor
amasses it for another,^(G) who will be kind to the poor.^(H)

⁹If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.^(I)

¹⁰Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,^(J)
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

¹¹The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;^(K)
but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.^(L)

¹³Whoever conceals their sins^(M) does not prosper,
but the one who confesses^(N) and renounces them finds mercy.^(O)

¹⁴Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.

¹⁷Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge^(P) in the grave;
let no one hold them back.

¹⁸The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,^(Q)
but the one whose ways are perverse will fall^(R) into the pit.^[b]

¹⁹Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.^(S)

²⁰A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.^(T)

²¹To show partiality^(U) is not good^(V)—
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.^(W)

²²The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.^(X)

²³Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
rather than one who has a flattering tongue.^(Y)

²⁴Whoever robs their father or mother^(Z)
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is partner to one who destroys.^(AA)

²⁵The greedy stir up conflict,^(AB)
but those who trust in the Lord^(AC) will prosper.

²⁶Those who trust in themselves are fools,^(AD)
but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.^(AE)

²⁷Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,^(AF)
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.^(AG)

²⁸When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;^(AH)
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

29 Whoever remains stiff-necked^(AI) after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed^(AJ)—without remedy.^(AK)

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;^(AL)
when the wicked rule,^(AM) the people groan.^(AN)

³A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,^(AO)
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.^(AP)

⁴By justice a king gives a country stability,^(AQ)
but those who are greedy for^[c] bribes tear it down.

⁵Those who flatter their neighbors
are spreading nets for their feet.^(AR)

⁶Evildoers are snared by their own sin,^(AS)
but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor,^(AT)
but the wicked have no such concern.

⁸Mockers stir up a city,
but the wise turn away anger.^(AU)

⁹If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
and seek to kill the upright.^(AV)

¹¹Fools give full vent to their rage,^(AW)
but the wise bring calm in the end.^(AX)

¹²If a ruler^(AY) listens to lies,
all his officials become wicked.^(AZ)

¹³The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.^(BA)

¹⁴If a king judges the poor with fairness,
his throne will be established forever.^(BB)

¹⁵A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.^(BC)

¹⁶When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.^(BD)

¹⁷Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
they will bring you the delights you desire.^(BE)

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.^(BF)

¹⁹Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
though they understand, they will not respond.

²⁰Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.^(BG)

²¹A servant pampered from youth
will turn out to be insolent.

²²An angry person stirs up conflict,
and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.^(BH)

²³Pride brings a person low,^(BI)
but the lowly in spirit gain honor.^(BJ)

²⁴The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
they are put under oath and dare not testify.^(BK)

²⁵Fear^(BL) of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord^(BM) is kept safe.^(BN)

²⁶Many seek an audience with a ruler,^(BO)
but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.^(BP)

²⁷The righteous detest the dishonest;
the wicked detest the upright.^(BQ)

Footnotes

Proverbs 28:3 Or A poor person
Proverbs 28:18 Syriac (see Septuagint); Hebrew into one
Proverbs 29:4 Or who give

1 Corinthians 15

New International Version

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel^(A) I preached to you,^(B) which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ²By this gospel you are saved,^(C) if you hold firmly^(D) to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

³For what I received^(E) I passed on to you^(F) as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins^(G) according to the Scriptures,^(H) ⁴that he was buried,^(I) that he was raised^(J) on the third day^(K) according to the Scriptures,^(L) ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b]^(M) and then to the Twelve.^(N) ⁶After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.^(O) ⁷Then he appeared to James,^(P) then to all the apostles,^(Q) ⁸and last of all he appeared to me also,^(R) as to one abnormally born.

⁹For I am the least of the apostles^(S) and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted^(T) the church of God.^(U) ¹⁰But by the grace^(V) of God I am what I am, and his grace to me^(W) was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them^(X)—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.^(Y) ¹¹Whether, then, it is I or they,^(Z) this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹²But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,^(AA) how can some of you say that there is no resurrection^(AB) of the dead?^(AC) ¹³If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised,^(AD) our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.^(AE) But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.^(AF) ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep^(AG) in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.^(AH)

²⁰But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,^(AI) the firstfruits^(AJ) of those who have fallen asleep.^(AK) ²¹For since death came through a man,^(AL) the resurrection of the dead^(AM) comes also through a man. ²²For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.^(AN) ²³But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits;^(AO) then, when he comes,^(AP) those who belong to him.^(AQ) ²⁴Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom^(AR) to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.^(AS) ²⁵For he must reign^(AT) until he has put all his enemies under his feet.^(AU) ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death.^(AV) ²⁷For he “has put everything under his feet.”^[c]^(AW) Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.^(AX) ²⁸When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him,^(AY) so that God may be all in all.^(AZ)

²⁹Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? ³⁰And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?^(BA) ³¹I face death every day^(BB)—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³²If I fought wild beasts^(BC) in Ephesus^(BD) with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”^[d]^(BE)

³³Do not be misled:^(BF) “Bad company corrupts good character.”^[e]^(BG) ³⁴Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God^(BH)—I say this to your shame.^(BI)

The Resurrection Body

³⁵But someone will ask,^(BJ) “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”^(BK) ³⁶How foolish!^(BL) What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.^(BM) ³⁷When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.^(BN) ³⁹Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹The sun has one kind of splendor,^(BO) the moon another and the stars another;^(BP) and star differs from star in splendor.

⁴²So will it be^(BQ) with the resurrection of the dead.^(BR) The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;^(BS) ⁴³it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;^(BT) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.^(BU)

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”^[f];^(BV) the last Adam,^(BW) a life-giving spirit.^(BX) ⁴⁶The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.^(BY) ⁴⁷The first man was of the dust of the earth;^(BZ) the second man is of heaven.^(CA) ⁴⁸As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.^(CB) ⁴⁹And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,^(CC) so shall we^[g] bear the image of the heavenly man.^(CD)

⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood^(CE) cannot inherit the kingdom of God,^(CF) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.^(CG) ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery:^(CH) We will not all sleep,^(CI) but we will all be changed^(CJ)— ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,^(CK) the dead^(CL) will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable^(CM) must clothe itself with the imperishable,^(CN) and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^[h]^(CO)

⁵⁵“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”^[i]^(CP)

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin,^(CQ) and the power of sin is the law.^(CR) ⁵⁷But thanks be to God!^(CS) He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.^(CT)

⁵⁸Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,^(CU) because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.^(CV)