Psalm 37:34-40

New International Version

³⁴Hope in the Lord^(A)
and keep his way.^(B)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,^(C) you will see^(D) it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing^(E) like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.^(F)

³⁷Consider the blameless,^(G) observe the upright;^(H)
a future awaits those who seek peace.^[a]^(I)
³⁸But all sinners^(J) will be destroyed;^(K)
there will be no future^[b] for the wicked.^(L)

³⁹The salvation^(M) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.^(N)
⁴⁰The Lord helps^(O) them and delivers^(P) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves^(Q) them,
    because they take refuge^(R) in him.

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Footnotes

Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
Psalm 37:38 Or posterity

Proverbs 9:1-2

New International Version

Invitations of Wisdom and Folly

9 Wisdom has built^(A) her house;
she has set up^[a] its seven pillars.
²She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;^(B)
she has also set her table.^(C)

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Footnotes

Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out

Matthew 25:14-30

New International Version

The Parable of the Bags of Gold^(A)

¹⁴“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,^(B) who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability.^(C) Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.^(D) ²⁰The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

²¹“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.^(E) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²²“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

²³“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.^(F) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.^(G) ³⁰And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’^(H)

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Footnotes

Matthew 25:15 Greek five talents … two talents … one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.

Romans 3:9-20

New International Version

No One Is Righteous

⁹What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?^(A) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.^(B) ¹⁰As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
¹¹    there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
¹²All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”^[a]^(C)
¹³“Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”^[b]^(D)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”^[c]^(E)
¹⁴    “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”^[d]^(F)
¹⁵“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶    ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷and the way of peace they do not know.”^[e]^(G)
¹⁸    “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^[f]^(H)

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says,^(I) it says to those who are under the law,^(J) so that every mouth may be silenced^(K) and the whole world held accountable to God.^(L) ²⁰Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;^(M) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.^(N)