Proverbs 15

English Standard Version

15 ^(A)A soft answer turns away wrath,
    but ^(B)a harsh word stirs up anger.
²The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
    but ^(C)the mouths of fools pour out folly.
³^(D)The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
    keeping watch on the evil and the good.
⁴^(E)A gentle^[a] tongue is ^(F)a tree of life,
    but ^(G)perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
⁵^(H)A fool ^(I)despises his father's instruction,
    but ^(J)whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
⁶In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
    but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
⁷^(K)The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
    ^(L)not so the hearts of fools.^[b]
⁸^(M)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but ^(N)the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
⁹The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but he loves him ^(O)who pursues righteousness.
¹⁰There is ^(P)severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
    ^(Q)whoever hates reproof will die.
¹¹Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;
    how much more ^(R)the hearts of the children of man!
¹²^(S)A scoffer ^(T)does not like to be reproved;
    he will not go to the wise.
¹³^(U)A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
    but by ^(V)sorrow of heart the spirit is ^(W)crushed.
¹⁴^(X)The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are evil,
    but ^(Y)the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
¹⁶^(Z)Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
    than great treasure and trouble with it.
¹⁷^(AA)Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
    than ^(AB)a fattened ox and hatred with it.
¹⁸^(AC)A hot-tempered man ^(AD)stirs up strife,
    but he who is ^(AE)slow to anger quiets contention.
¹⁹The way of ^(AF)a sluggard is like a hedge of ^(AG)thorns,
    but the path of the upright is ^(AH)a level highway.
²⁰^(AI)A wise son makes a glad father,
    but a foolish man despises his mother.
²¹^(AJ)Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
    but a man of understanding ^(AK)walks straight ahead.
²²^(AL)Without counsel plans fail,
    but with many advisers they succeed.
²³To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
    and ^(AM)a word in season, how good it is!
²⁴The path of life leads upward ^(AN)for the prudent,
    that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
²⁵The Lord tears down the house of ^(AO)the proud
    but ^(AP)maintains ^(AQ)the widow's boundaries.
²⁶^(AR)The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
    but ^(AS)gracious words are pure.
²⁷Whoever is ^(AT)greedy for unjust gain ^(AU)troubles his own household,
    but he who hates ^(AV)bribes will live.
²⁸The heart of the righteous ^(AW)ponders how to answer,
    but ^(AX)the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
²⁹The Lord is ^(AY)far from the wicked,
    but he ^(AZ)hears the prayer of the righteous.
³⁰^(BA)The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
    and ^(BB)good news refreshes^[c] the bones.
³¹^(BC)The ear that listens to ^(BD)life-giving reproof
    will dwell among the wise.
³²Whoever ^(BE)ignores instruction ^(BF)despises himself,
    but he who listens to reproof ^(BG)gains intelligence.
³³^(BH)The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
    and ^(BI)humility comes before honor.

Footnotes

Proverbs 15:4 Or healing
Proverbs 15:7 Or the hearts of fools are not steadfast
Proverbs 15:30 Hebrew makes fat

Proverbs 16

English Standard Version

16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but ^(A)the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
²^(B)All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord ^(C)weighs the spirit.^[a]
³^(D)Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
⁴^(E)The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even ^(F)the wicked for the day of trouble.
⁵Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ^(G)an abomination to the Lord;
    ^(H)be assured, he will not go unpunished.
⁶By ^(I)steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
    and by ^(J)the fear of the Lord one ^(K)turns away from evil.
⁷When a man's ways please the Lord,
    ^(L)he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
⁸^(M)Better is a little with righteousness
    than great revenues with injustice.
⁹^(N)The heart of man plans his way,
    but ^(O)the Lord establishes his steps.
¹⁰^(P)An oracle is on the lips of a king;
    his mouth does not sin in judgment.
¹¹^(Q)A just balance and scales are the Lord's;
    all the weights in the bag are his work.
¹²It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
    for ^(R)the throne is established by righteousness.
¹³^(S)Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
    and he loves him who speaks what is right.
¹⁴^(T)A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
    and a wise man will ^(U)appease it.
¹⁵^(V)In the light of a king's face there is life,
    and his ^(W)favor is like ^(X)the clouds that bring the spring rain.
¹⁶^(Y)How much better to get wisdom than ^(Z)gold!
    To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ^(AA)silver.
¹⁷The highway of the upright ^(AB)turns aside from evil;
    whoever guards his way preserves his life.
¹⁸^(AC)Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.
¹⁹^(AD)It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
    than to ^(AE)divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰Whoever gives thought to the word^[b] ^(AF)will discover good,
    and blessed is he ^(AG)who trusts in the Lord.
²¹The wise of heart is called discerning,
    and sweetness of speech ^(AH)increases persuasiveness.
²²Good sense is ^(AI)a fountain of life to him who has it,
    but the instruction of fools is folly.
²³^(AJ)The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
    and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
²⁴^(AK)Gracious words are like ^(AL)a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and ^(AM)health to the body.
²⁵There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.^[c]
²⁶A worker's appetite works for him;
    his ^(AN)mouth urges him on.
²⁷^(AO)A worthless man plots evil,
    and his speech^[d] is like ^(AP)a scorching fire.
²⁸^(AQ)A dishonest man spreads strife,
    and ^(AR)a whisperer ^(AS)separates close friends.
²⁹A man of violence ^(AT)entices his neighbor
    and leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰Whoever winks his eyes plans^[e] ^(AU)dishonest things;
    he who ^(AV)purses his lips brings evil to pass.
³¹^(AW)Gray hair is ^(AX)a crown of glory;
    it ^(AY)is gained in a righteous life.
³²^(AZ)Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
    and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
³³^(BA)The lot is cast into the lap,
    but its every decision is ^(BB)from the Lord.

Footnotes

Proverbs 16:2 Or spirits
Proverbs 16:20 Or to a matter
Proverbs 16:25 Hebrew ways of death
Proverbs 16:27 Hebrew what is on his lips
Proverbs 16:30 Hebrew to plan

1 Peter 3

English Standard Version

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise, wives, ^(A)be subject to your own husbands, so that ^(B)even if some do not obey the word, ^(C)they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, ²when they see your ^(D)respectful and pure conduct. ³^(E)Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— ⁴but let your adorning be ^(F)the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. ⁵For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, ⁶as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(G)calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and ^(H)do not fear anything that is frightening.

⁷Likewise, ^(I)husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker ^(J)vessel, since they are heirs with you^[a] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

⁸Finally, all of you, ^(K)have unity of mind, sympathy, ^(L)brotherly love, ^(M)a tender heart, and ^(N)a humble mind. ⁹^(O)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, ^(P)bless, for ^(Q)to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ¹⁰For

^(R)“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
¹¹let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

¹³Now ^(S)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ¹⁴^(T)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. ^(U)Have no fear of them, ^(V)nor be troubled, ¹⁵but ^(W)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, ^(X)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ^(Y)respect, ¹⁶^(Z)having a good conscience, so that, ^(AA)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷For ^(AB)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

¹⁸For Christ also ^(AC)suffered^[b] ^(AD)once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, ^(AE)that he might bring us to God, being put to death ^(AF)in the flesh but made alive ^(AG)in the spirit, ¹⁹in which^[c] he went and ^(AH)proclaimed^[d] to the spirits in prison, ²⁰because^[e] they formerly did not obey, ^(AI)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, ^(AJ)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, ^(AK)eight persons, were brought safely through water. ²¹Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^(AL)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^(AM)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^(AN)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and ^(AO)is at the right hand of God, ^(AP)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.