Proverbs 8-10
Christian Standard Bible
Wisdom’s Appeal
8 Doesn’t wisdom(A) call out?
Doesn’t understanding make her voice heard?
2 At the heights overlooking the road,
at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
3 Beside the gates(B) leading into the city,
at the main entrance, she cries out:
4 “People, I call out to you;
my cry is to the children of Adam.
5 Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.
6 Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and what my lips say is right.
7 For my mouth tells the truth,(C)
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
8 All the words from my mouth are righteous;
none of them are deceptive or perverse.(D)
9 All of them are clear to the perceptive,(E)
and right to those who discover knowledge.
10 Accept my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.(F)
11 For wisdom is better than jewels,(G)
and nothing desirable can equal it.(H)
12 I, wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion.(I)
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil.(J)
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
14 I possess good advice and sound wisdom;[a]
I have understanding and strength.(K)
15 It is by me that kings reign(L)
and rulers enact just law;
16 by me, princes lead,
as do nobles and all righteous judges.[b]
17 I love those who love me,(M)
and those who search for me find me.(N)
18 With me are riches and honor,(O)
lasting wealth and righteousness.(P)
19 My fruit is better than solid gold,
and my harvest than pure silver.(Q)
20 I walk in the ways of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22 “The Lord acquired[c] me
at the beginning of his creation,[d]
before his works of long ago.(R)
23 I was formed[e] before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.(S)
24 I was born
when there were no watery depths(T)
and no springs filled with water.
25 Before the mountains were established,
prior to the hills,(U) I was given birth—
26 before he made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
27 I was there when he established the heavens,(V)
when he laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,(W)
28 when he placed the skies above,
when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
29 when he set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate his command,(X)
when he laid out the foundations of the earth.(Y)
30 I was a skilled craftsman[f] beside him.(Z)
I was his[g] delight every day,
always rejoicing before him.
31 I was rejoicing in his inhabited world,(AA)
delighting in the children of Adam.(AB)
32 “And now, sons, listen to me;
those who keep my ways are happy.(AC)
33 Listen to instruction and be wise;(AD)
don’t ignore it.
34 Anyone who listens to me is happy,(AE)
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.
35 For the one who finds me finds life(AF)
and obtains favor from the Lord,(AG)
36 but the one who misses me[h] harms himself;(AH)
all who hate me love death.”(AI)
Wisdom versus Foolishness
9 Wisdom has built her house;(AJ)
she has carved out her seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat;(AK) she has mixed her wine;(AL)
she has also set her table.(AM)
3 She has sent out her female servants;(AN)
she calls out from the highest points of the city:(AO)
4 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense,(AP) she says,
5 “Come, eat my bread,(AQ)
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;
pursue the way of understanding.
7 The one who corrects a mocker
will bring abuse on himself;
the one who rebukes the wicked will get hurt.[i]
8 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;(AR)
rebuke the wise, and he will love you.(AS)
9 Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still;
teach the righteous, and he will learn more.(AT)
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,(AU)
and the knowledge of the Holy One(AV) is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit;(AW)
if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.”
13 Folly is a rowdy woman;(AX)
she is gullible and knows nothing.(AY)
14 She sits by the doorway of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who go straight ahead on their paths:(AZ)
16 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense, she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten secretly is tasty!” (BA)
18 But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,(BB)
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.(BC)
A Collection of Solomon’s Proverbs
10 Solomon’s proverbs:(BD)
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son, heartache to his mother.(BE)
2 Ill-gotten gains do not profit anyone,
but righteousness rescues from death.(BF)
4 Idle hands make one poor,
but diligent hands bring riches.(BI)
5 The son who gathers during summer is prudent;
the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful.(BJ)
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(BK)
7 The remembrance of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.(BL)
8 A wise heart accepts commands,(BM)
but foolish lips will be destroyed.
9 The one who lives with integrity lives securely,(BN)
but whoever perverts his ways will be found out.(BO)
10 A sly wink of the eye(BP) causes grief,
and foolish lips will be destroyed.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,(BQ)
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(BR)
12 Hatred stirs up conflicts,
but love covers all offenses.(BS)
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
but a rod is for the back of the one who lacks sense.(BT)
14 The wise store up knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool hastens destruction.(BU)
15 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city;(BV)
the poverty of the poor is their destruction.
16 The reward of the righteous is life;
the wages of the wicked is punishment.(BW)
17 The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,
but the one who rejects correction goes astray.(BX)
18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.(BY)
19 When there are many words, sin is unavoidable,
but the one who controls his lips is prudent.(BZ)
20 The tongue of the righteous is pure silver;
the heart of the wicked is of little value.(CA)
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.(CB)
23 As shameful conduct is pleasure for a fool,(CE)
so wisdom is for a person of understanding.
24 What the wicked dreads will come to him,(CF)
but what the righteous desire will be given to them.(CG)
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,(CJ)
so the slacker is to the one who sends him on an errand.
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the honorable,
but destruction awaits evildoers.(CO)
30 The righteous will never be shaken,
but the wicked will not remain on the earth.(CP)
32 The lips of the righteous know what is appropriate,(CS)
but the mouth of the wicked, only what is perverse.(CT)
Footnotes
- 8:14 Or resourcefulness
- 8:16 Some Hb mss, LXX read nobles who judge the earth
- 8:22 Or possessed, or made
- 8:22 Lit way
- 8:23 Or consecrated
- 8:30 Or a confidant, or a child, or was constantly
- 8:30 LXX; MT omits his
- 8:36 Or who sins against me
- 9:7 Lit man: his blemish
- 10:22 Or and painful effort adds nothing to it
- 10:27 Lit Lord adds to days
Psalm 144
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 144
A King’s Prayer
Of David.
1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock(A)
who trains my hands for battle
and my fingers for warfare.(B)
2 He is my faithful love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer.
He is my shield,(C) and I take refuge in him;(D)
he subdues my people[a] under me.(E)
3 Lord, what is a human that you care for him,
a son of man[b] that you think of him?(F)
4 A human is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.(G)
5 Lord, part your heavens and come down.(H)
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.(I)
6 Flash your lightning and scatter the foe;[c]
shoot your arrows and rout them.(J)
7 Reach down[d] from on high;(K)
rescue me from deep water, and set me free
from the grasp of foreigners(L)
8 whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(M)
9 God, I will sing a new song to you;
I will play on a ten-stringed harp for you(N)—
10 the one who gives victory to kings,
who frees his servant David
from the deadly sword.(O)
11 Set me free and rescue me
from foreigners(P)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(Q)
12 Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters, like corner pillars
that are carved in the palace style.(R)
13 Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all kinds of produce;(S)
our flocks will increase by thousands
and tens of thousands in our open fields.(T)
14 Our cattle will be well fed.[e]
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,[f]
and no cry of lament in our public squares.(U)
15 Happy are the people with such blessings.
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.(V)
Romans 12
Christian Standard Bible
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you(A) to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,(B) holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.[a] 2 Do not be conformed(C) to this age,(D) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,(E) so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will(F) of God.
Many Gifts but One Body
3 For by the grace(G) given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think.(H) Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith(I) to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body,(J) and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many(K) are one body in Christ(L) and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:(M) If prophecy,(N) use it according to the proportion of one’s[b] faith; 7 if service,(O) use it in service; if teaching,(P) in teaching; 8 if exhorting,(Q) in exhortation; giving, with generosity;(R) leading,(S) with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.(T)
Christian Ethics
9 Let love be without hypocrisy.(U) Detest evil;(V) cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters.(W) Take the lead in honoring one another.(X) 11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit;[c](Y) serve the Lord.(Z) 12 Rejoice in hope;(AA) be patient in affliction;(AB) be persistent in prayer.(AC) 13 Share with the saints in their needs;(AD) pursue hospitality.(AE) 14 Bless those who persecute you;(AF) bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice;(AG) weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another.(AH) Do not be proud;(AI) instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.(AJ) 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil.(AK) Give careful thought to do what is honorable(AL) in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.(AM) 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,[d](AN) says the Lord. 20 But
If your enemy is hungry, feed him.(AO)
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.[e](AP)
21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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