Proverbs 6-7
New American Standard Bible
Parental Counsel
6 My son, if you have become a (A)guarantor for your neighbor,
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
2 If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
3 Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the [a]hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
4 Give no (B)sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a (C)bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the (D)ant, you [b](E)lazy one,
Observe its ways and be wise,
7 Which, having (F)no chief,
Officer, or ruler,
8 Prepares its food (G)in the summer
And gathers its provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, you [c]lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “(H)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [d]rest,”
11 (I)Then your poverty will come in like a [e]drifter,
And your need like [f]an armed man.
12 A (J)worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a (K)perverse mouth,
13 Who (L)winks with his eyes, who [g]signals with his feet,
Who [h]points with his fingers;
14 Who, with (M)perversion in his heart, continually (N)devises evil,
Who [i](O)spreads strife.
15 Therefore (P)his disaster will come suddenly;
(Q)Instantly he will be broken and there will be (R)no healing.
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
Seven that are an abomination [j]to Him:
17 (S)Haughty eyes, a (T)lying tongue,
And hands that (U)shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises (V)wicked plans,
(W)Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A (X)false witness who declares lies,
And one who [k](Y)spreads strife among brothers.
20 (Z)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the [l]teaching of your mother;
21 (AA)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (AB)walk, [m]they will guide you;
When you sleep, [n]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, [o]they will talk to you.
23 For (AC)the commandment is a lamp and the [p]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
24 To (AD)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
25 (AE)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her (AF)eyelids.
26 For (AG)the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread,
And [q]an adulteress (AH)hunts for a precious life.
27 Can anyone take fire in his lap
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a person walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is the one who (AI)goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her (AJ)will not [r]go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
To (AK)satisfy [s]himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must (AL)repay seven times as much;
He must give up all the property of his house.
32 One who commits adultery with a woman is (AM)lacking [t]sense;
He who would (AN)destroy [u]himself commits it.
33 He will find wounds and disgrace,
And his shame will not be removed.
34 For (AO)jealousy [v]enrages a man,
And he will not have compassion on the (AP)day of vengeance.
35 He will not [w]accept any settlement,
Nor will he be [x]satisfied though you make it a large gift.
The Lures of the Prostitute
7 My son, (AQ)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
2 (AR)Keep my commandments and live,
And my [y]teaching (AS)as the [z]apple of your eye.
3 (AT)Bind them on your fingers;
(AU)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend,
5 So that they may keep you from an [aa]adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For (AV)at the window of my house
I looked out (AW)through my lattice,
7 And I saw among the (AX)naive,
And discerned among the [ab]youths
A young man (AY)lacking [ac]sense,
8 Passing through the street near (AZ)her corner;
And he walks along the way to (BA)her house,
9 In the (BB)twilight, in the [ad]evening,
In the [ae]middle of the night and the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
(BC)Dressed as a prostitute and cunning of heart.
11 She is (BD)boisterous and rebellious,
Her (BE)feet do not remain at home;
12 She is now in the streets, now (BF)in the public squares,
And (BG)lurks by every corner.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him,
[af]And with a (BH)brazen face she says to him:
14 “[ag]I was due to offer (BI)peace offerings;
Today I have (BJ)paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence diligently, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (BK)coverings,
With colored (BL)linens of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed
With (BM)myrrh, aloes, and (BN)cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning;
Let’s delight ourselves with caresses.
19 For [ah]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a (BO)bag of money [ai]with him.
At the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her many persuasions she entices him;
With her [aj](BP)flattering lips she seduces him.
22 Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as [ak]one walks in ankle bracelets to the discipline of a fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a (BQ)bird hurries to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 Now therefore, my sons, (BR)listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart (BS)turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths.
26 For many are the [al]victims she has brought to ruin,
And (BT)numerous are all those slaughtered by her.
27 Her (BU)house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:3 Lit palm
- Proverbs 6:6 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 6:9 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 6:10 Lit lie down
- Proverbs 6:11 Lit one who moves about
- Proverbs 6:11 Lit a man with a shield
- Proverbs 6:13 Lit scrapes
- Proverbs 6:13 Lit instructs with
- Proverbs 6:14 Lit sends out
- Proverbs 6:16 Lit of His soul
- Proverbs 6:19 Lit sends out
- Proverbs 6:20 Or law
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:23 Or law
- Proverbs 6:26 Lit a man’s wife
- Proverbs 6:29 Lit be innocent
- Proverbs 6:30 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:32 Lit heart
- Proverbs 6:32 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 6:34 Lit is the rage of
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit lift up the face of any
- Proverbs 6:35 Lit willing
- Proverbs 7:2 Or law
- Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil
- Proverbs 7:5 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit sons
- Proverbs 7:7 Lit heart
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit evening of the day
- Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye)
- Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says
- Proverbs 7:14 Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me
- Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man
- Proverbs 7:20 Lit in his hand
- Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth
- Proverbs 7:22 Or as a stag goes into a trap; as in some ancient versions, Heb is uncertain
- Proverbs 7:26 Lit wounded
Romans 11
New American Standard Bible
Israel Has Not Been Rejected
11 I say then, God has not (A)rejected His people, has He? [a](B)Far from it! For (C)I too am an Israelite, [b]a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God (D)has not rejected His people whom He (E)foreknew. (F)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, (G)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what [c]is the divine response to him? “(H)I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time (I)a remnant according to God’s [d]gracious choice. 6 But (J)if it is by grace, it is no longer [e]on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7 What then? What (K)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but [f]those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were (L)hardened; 8 just as it is written:
“(M)God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”
9 And David says,
“(N)May their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 (O)May their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs continually.”
11 (P)I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? [g](Q)Far from it! But by their wrongdoing (R)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to (S)make them jealous. 12 Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their [h](T)fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as (U)I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 if somehow I may (V)move (W)my [i]own people to jealousy and (X)save some of them. 15 For if their rejection proves to be the (Y)reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but (Z)life from the dead? 16 If the (AA)first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are as well.
17 But if some of the (AB)branches were broken off, and (AC)you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the [j]rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that (AD)it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 (AE)You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you (AF)stand by your faith. (AG)Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s (AH)kindness, (AI)if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too (AJ)will be cut off. 23 And they also, (AK)if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For (AL)I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this (AM)mystery—so that you will not be (AN)wise in your own estimation—that a partial (AO)hardening has happened to Israel until the (AP)fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:
“(AQ)The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “(AR)This is [k]My covenant with them,
(AS)When I take away their sins.”
28 In relation to the gospel they are (AT)enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved (AU)on account of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the (AV)calling of God (AW)are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For (AX)God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.
33 Oh, the depth of (AY)the riches, [l]both of the (AZ)wisdom and knowledge of God! (BA)How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For (BB)who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or (BC)who has first given to Him, [m]that it would be paid back to him? 36 For (BD)from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. (BE)To Him be the glory [n]forever. Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 11:1 Lit May it never happen!
- Romans 11:1 Lit of the seed of Abraham
- Romans 11:4 Lit says
- Romans 11:5 Lit choice of grace
- Romans 11:6 Lit out of
- Romans 11:7 Lit the election
- Romans 11:11 Lit May it never happen!
- Romans 11:12 Or fullness
- Romans 11:14 Lit flesh
- Romans 11:17 Lit root of the fatness
- Romans 11:27 Lit the covenant from Me
- Romans 11:33 Or and the wisdom
- Romans 11:35 Lit and it will be paid back
- Romans 11:36 Lit to the ages
Psalm 7
New American Standard Bible
The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.
A [a]Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord [b]concerning Cush, a Benjaminite.
7 O Lord my God, (A)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and (B)rescue me,
2 Or he will tear [c]my soul (C)like a lion,
Dragging me away, while there is no one to rescue me.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is (D)injustice in my hands,
4 If I have (E)done evil to [d]my friend,
Or have (F)plundered [e]my enemy for no reason,
5 Let the enemy pursue [f]my soul and overtake [g]it;
And let him trample my life to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust. Selah
6 (G)Arise, Lord, in Your anger;
(H)Raise Yourself against (I)the rage of my enemies,
And (J)stir Yourself [h]for me; You have ordered judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the (K)peoples encompass You,
And return on high over it.
8 The Lord (L)judges the peoples;
[i](M)Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 Please let (N)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but (O)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God (P)puts hearts and [j]minds to the test.
10 My (Q)shield is [k]with God,
Who (R)saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a (S)righteous judge,
And a God who (T)shows indignation every day.
12 If one (U)does not repent, He will (V)sharpen His sword;
He has (W)bent His bow and taken aim.
13 He has also prepared deadly weapons for Himself;
He makes His (X)arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, an evil person is pregnant with injustice,
And he (Y)conceives harm and gives birth to lies.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has (Z)fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His (AA)harm will return on his own head,
And his (AB)violence will descend on the top of his own head.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord (AC)according to His righteousness
And will (AD)sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Footnotes
- Psalm 7 Title I.e., Dithyrambic rhythm; or wild, passionate song
- Psalm 7 Title Or concerning the words of
- Psalm 7:2 Or me
- Psalm 7:4 Lit him who was at peace with me
- Psalm 7:4 Or him who for no reason was my enemy,
- Psalm 7:5 Or me
- Psalm 7:5 Or me
- Psalm 7:6 One ancient version reads O my God
- Psalm 7:8 Lit Judge
- Psalm 7:9 Lit kidneys, figurative for inner man
- Psalm 7:10 Lit upon
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