Psalm 34:12-22

English Standard Version

¹²^(A)What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may ^(B)see good?
¹³^(C)Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from ^(D)speaking deceit.
¹⁴^(E)Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and ^(F)pursue it.

¹⁵^(G)The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    ^(H)and his ears toward their cry.
¹⁶^(I)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to ^(J)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷^(K)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is near to ^(L)the brokenhearted
    and saves ^(M)the crushed in spirit.

¹⁹^(N)Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    ^(O)but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
²⁰He keeps all his bones;
    ^(P)not one of them is broken.
²¹^(Q)Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²²The Lord ^(R)redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be ^(S)condemned.

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Proverbs 9:1-10

English Standard Version

The Way of Wisdom

9 ^(A)Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her ^(B)seven ^(C)pillars.
²She has ^(D)slaughtered her beasts; she has ^(E)mixed her wine;
    she has also ^(F)set her table.
³She has ^(G)sent out her young women to ^(H)call
    from ^(I)the highest places in the town,
⁴^(J)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    ^(K)To him who lacks sense she says,
⁵“Come, ^(L)eat of my bread
    and ^(M)drink of ^(N)the wine I have mixed.
⁶Leave ^(O)your simple ways,^[a] and ^(P)live,
    ^(Q)and walk in the way of insight.”

⁷Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
⁸^(R)Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
    ^(S)reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
⁹Give instruction^[b] to a wise man, and he will be ^(T)still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will ^(U)increase in learning.
¹⁰^(V)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and ^(W)the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

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Footnotes

Proverbs 9:6 Or Leave the company of the simple
Proverbs 9:9 Hebrew lacks instruction

Ephesians 5:6-21

English Standard Version

⁶^(A)Let no one ^(B)deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^(C)the wrath of God comes upon ^(D)the sons of disobedience. ⁷Therefore ^(E)do not become partners with them; ⁸for ^(F)at one time you were ^(G)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. ^(H)Walk as children of light ⁹(for ^(I)the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰and ^(J)try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹^(K)Take no part in the ^(L)unfruitful ^(M)works of darkness, but instead ^(N)expose them. ¹²For ^(O)it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³But when ^(P)anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

^(Q)“Awake, O sleeper,
and ^(R)arise from the dead,
and ^(S)Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵^(T)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶^(U)making the best use of the time, because ^(V)the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^(W)the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸And ^(X)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(Y)debauchery, but ^(Z)be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹addressing one another in ^(AA)psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰^(AB)giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^(AC)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹^(AD)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.