Bible in 90 Days
Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever
135 (A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
give praise, O (B)servants of the Lord,
2 who (C)stand in the house of the Lord,
in (D)the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for (E)the Lord is good;
sing to his name, (F)for it is pleasant![a]
4 For the Lord has (G)chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his (H)own possession.
5 For I know that (I)the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 (J)Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 (K)He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who (L)makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his (M)storehouses.
8 He it was who (N)struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent (O)signs and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 (P)who struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings,
11 (Q)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and (R)Og, king of Bashan,
and (S)all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and (T)gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
13 (U)Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
(V)your renown,[b] O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 (W)For the Lord will vindicate his people
and (X)have compassion on his servants.
15 (Y)The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them.
19 (Z)O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord (AA)from Zion,
he who (AB)dwells in Jerusalem!
(AC)Praise the Lord!
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
136 (AD)Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
(AE)for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to (AF)the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to (AG)the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone (AH)does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who (AI)by understanding (AJ)made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who (AK)spread out the earth (AL)above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who (AM)made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who (AN)struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and (AO)brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with (AP)a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who (AQ)divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 (AR)and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but (AS)overthrew[c] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who (AT)led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him (AU)who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his (AV)servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who (AW)remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and (AX)rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who (AY)gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to (AZ)the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?
137 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows[d] there
we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 (BA)How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
(BB)let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my (BC)tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy!
7 Remember, O Lord, against the (BD)Edomites
(BE)the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, (BF)“Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, (BG)doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who (BH)repays you
with what you have done to us!
9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and (BI)dashes them against the rock!
Give Thanks to the Lord
Of David.
138 (BJ)I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before (BK)the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down (BL)toward your (BM)holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.[e]
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.[f]
4 (BN)All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of (BO)the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 (BP)For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 (BQ)Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you (BR)preserve my life;
you (BS)stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your (BT)right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will (BU)fulfill his purpose for me;
(BV)your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake (BW)the work of your hands.
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you have (BX)searched me and known me!
2 You (BY)know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you (BZ)discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, (CA)you know it altogether.
5 You (CB)hem me in, behind and before,
and (CC)lay your hand upon me.
6 (CD)Such knowledge is (CE)too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 (CF)Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where (CG)shall I flee from your presence?
8 (CH)If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
(CI)If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall (CJ)lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, (CK)“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 (CL)even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you (CM)formed my inward parts;
you (CN)knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[g]
(CO)Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 (CP)My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in (CQ)the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your (CR)book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your (CS)thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 (CT)If I would count them, they are more than (CU)the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would (CV)slay the wicked, O God!
O (CW)men of blood, (CX)depart from me!
20 They (CY)speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies (CZ)take your name in vain.[h]
21 (DA)Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not (DB)loathe those who (DC)rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
(DD)Try me and know my thoughts![i]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and (DE)lead me in (DF)the way everlasting![j]
Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
140 (DG)Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from (DH)violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
and (DI)stir up wars continually.
3 They make (DJ)their tongue sharp as (DK)a serpent's,
and (DL)under their lips is the (DM)venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from (DN)violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have (DO)hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread (DP)a net;[k]
beside the way they have set (DQ)snares for me. Selah
6 (DR)I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to (DS)the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, (DT)the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 (DU)Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their[l] evil plot, or (DV)they will be exalted! Selah
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
let (DW)the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let (DX)burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12 I know that the Lord will (DY)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and (DZ)will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely (EA)the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
(EB)the upright shall dwell in your presence.
Give Ear to My Voice
A Psalm of David.
141 O Lord, I call upon you; (EC)hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let (ED)my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and (EE)the lifting up of my hands as (EF)the evening sacrifice!
3 (EG)Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
(EH)keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 (EI)Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who (EJ)work iniquity,
and (EK)let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 (EL)Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet (EM)my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are (EN)thrown over the cliff,[m]
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones (EO)be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.[n]
8 But (EP)my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
(EQ)in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless![o]
9 Keep me from (ER)the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked (ES)fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.
You Are My Refuge
A Maskil[p] of David, when he was in (ET)the cave. A Prayer.
142 With my voice I (EU)cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I (EV)plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I (EW)pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit (EX)faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have (EY)hidden a trap for me.
4 (EZ)Look to the (FA)right and see:
(FB)there is none who takes notice of me;
(FC)no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my (FD)refuge,
my (FE)portion in (FF)the land of the living.”
6 (FG)Attend to my cry,
for (FH)I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
(FI)for they are too strong for me!
7 (FJ)Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will (FK)deal bountifully with me.
My Soul Thirsts for You
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
(FL)give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your (FM)faithfulness answer me, in your (FN)righteousness!
2 (FO)Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous (FP)before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
(FQ)he has crushed my life to the ground;
(FR)he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit (FS)faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 (FT)I remember the days of old;
(FU)I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 (FV)I stretch out my hands to you;
(FW)my soul thirsts for you like (FX)a parched land. Selah
7 (FY)Answer me quickly, O Lord!
(FZ)My spirit fails!
(GA)Hide not your face from me,
(GB)lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 (GC)Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I (GD)trust.
(GE)Make me know the way I should go,
(GF)for to you I lift up my soul.
9 (GG)Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge.[q]
10 (GH)Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
(GI)Let your good Spirit (GJ)lead me
on (GK)level ground!
11 (GL)For your name's sake, O Lord, (GM)preserve my life!
In your righteousness (GN)bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will (GO)cut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your (GP)servant.
My Rock and My Fortress
Of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, my (GQ)rock,
(GR)who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my (GS)steadfast love and my (GT)fortress,
my (GU)stronghold and my deliverer,
my (GV)shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who (GW)subdues peoples[r] under me.
3 O Lord, (GX)what is man that you (GY)regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 (GZ)Man is like a breath;
his days are like (HA)a passing (HB)shadow.
5 (HC)Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
(HD)Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 (HE)Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
(HF)send out your arrows and rout them!
7 (HG)Stretch out your hand from on high;
(HH)rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand (HI)of foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak (HJ)lies
and whose right hand is (HK)a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing (HL)a new song to you, O God;
upon (HM)a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
who (HN)rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand (HO)of foreigners,
whose mouths speak (HP)lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth
be like (HQ)plants full grown,
our daughters like (HR)corner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
13 (HS)may our granaries be full,
(HT)providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;[s]
may there be no (HU)cry of distress in our streets!
15 (HV)Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
(HW)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Great Is the Lord
[t] A Song of Praise. Of David.
145 (HX)I will extol you, my God and (HY)King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
(HZ)and praise your name forever and ever.
3 (IA)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his (IB)greatness is unsearchable.
4 (IC)One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On (ID)the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of (IE)the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your (IF)abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is (IG)gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is (IH)good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 (II)All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your (IJ)saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to (IK)make known to the children of man your[u] (IL)mighty deeds,
and (IM)the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 (IN)Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.][v]
14 The Lord (IO)upholds all who are falling
and (IP)raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all (IQ)look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You (IR)open your hand;
you (IS)satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is (IT)righteous in all his ways
and (IU)kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is (IV)near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him (IW)in truth.
19 He (IX)fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also (IY)hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord (IZ)preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and (JA)let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Put Not Your Trust in Princes
146 (JB)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (JC)as long as I live;
(JD)I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 (JE)Put not your trust in princes,
(JF)in a son of man, in whom there is (JG)no salvation.
4 When (JH)his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
5 (JI)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose (JJ)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 (JK)who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
(JL)who keeps faith forever;
7 (JM)who executes justice for the oppressed,
(JN)who gives food to the hungry.
(JO)The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 (JP)the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
(JQ)The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
(JR)the Lord loves the righteous.
9 (JS)The Lord watches over the sojourners;
(JT)he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but (JU)the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
He Heals the Brokenhearted
147 (JX)Praise the Lord!
For (JY)it is good to sing praises to our God;
for (JZ)it is pleasant,[w] and (KA)a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord (KB)builds up Jerusalem;
he (KC)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals (KD)the brokenhearted
and (KE)binds up their wounds.
4 He (KF)determines the number of the stars;
he (KG)gives to all of them their names.
5 (KH)Great is our Lord, and (KI)abundant in power;
(KJ)his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord (KK)lifts up the humble;[x]
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 (KL)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on (KM)the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares (KN)rain for the earth;
he makes (KO)grass grow on the hills.
9 He (KP)gives to the beasts their food,
and to (KQ)the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in (KR)the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord (KS)takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who (KT)hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens (KU)the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He (KV)makes peace in your borders;
he (KW)fills you with the (KX)finest of the wheat.
15 He (KY)sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives (KZ)snow like wool;
he scatters (LA)frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of (LB)ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his (LC)cold?
18 He (LD)sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his (LE)statutes and rules[y] to Israel.
20 He (LF)has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.[z]
(LG)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Name of the Lord
148 (LH)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord (LI)from the heavens;
praise him (LJ)in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his (LK)hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you (LL)highest heavens,
and you (LM)waters above the heavens!
5 (LN)Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For (LO)he commanded and they were created.
6 And he (LP)established them forever and ever;
he gave (LQ)a decree, and it shall not (LR)pass away.[aa]
7 Praise the Lord (LS)from the earth,
you (LT)great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 (LU)fire and hail, (LV)snow and mist,
(LW)stormy wind (LX)fulfilling his word!
9 (LY)Mountains and all hills,
(LZ)fruit trees and all (MA)cedars!
10 (MB)Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and (MC)flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and (MD)all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
13 (ME)Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for (MF)his name alone is exalted;
(MG)his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has (MH)raised up a horn for his people,
(MI)praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are (MJ)near to him.
(MK)Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a New Song
149 (ML)Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord (MM)a new song,
his praise in (MN)the assembly of the godly!
2 Let Israel (MO)be glad in (MP)his Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their (MQ)King!
3 Let them praise his name with (MR)dancing,
making melody to him with (MS)tambourine and (MT)lyre!
4 For the Lord (MU)takes pleasure in his people;
he (MV)adorns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the godly exult in glory;
let them (MW)sing for joy on their (MX)beds.
6 Let (MY)the high praises of God be in their throats
and (MZ)two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations
and punishments on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with (NA)chains
and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment (NB)written!
(NC)This is honor for all his godly ones.
(ND)Praise the Lord!
Let Everything Praise the Lord
150 (NE)Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his (NF)sanctuary;
praise him in (NG)his mighty heavens![ab]
2 Praise him for his (NH)mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent (NI)greatness!
3 Praise him with (NJ)trumpet sound;
praise him with (NK)lute and (NL)harp!
4 Praise him with (NM)tambourine and (NN)dance;
praise him with (NO)strings and (NP)pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding (NQ)cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let (NR)everything that has breath praise the Lord!
(NS)Praise the Lord!
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 (NT)The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in (NU)righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to (NV)the simple,
knowledge and (NW)discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and (NX)increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
(NY)the words of the wise and their (NZ)riddles.
7 (OA)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (OB)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are (OC)a graceful garland for your head
and (OD)pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (OE)entice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, (OF)let us lie in wait for blood;
(OG)let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us (OH)swallow them alive,
and whole, like (OI)those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, (OJ)do not walk in the way with them;
(OK)hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for (OL)their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 (OM)For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men (ON)lie in wait for their own blood;
they (OO)set an ambush for their own lives.
19 (OP)Such are the ways of everyone who is (OQ)greedy for unjust gain;
(OR)it takes away the life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (OS)Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at (OT)the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O (OU)simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will (OV)scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools (OW)hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,[ac]
behold, I will (OX)pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (OY)Because I have called and (OZ)you refused to listen,
have (PA)stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have (PB)ignored all my counsel
and (PC)would have none of my reproof,
26 I also (PD)will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when (PE)terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like (PF)a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 (PG)Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they (PH)hated knowledge
and (PI)did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (PJ)would have none of my counsel
and (PK)despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat (PL)the fruit of their way,
and have (PM)their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by (PN)their turning away,
and (PO)the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but (PP)whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be (PQ)at ease, without dread of disaster.”
The Value of Wisdom
2 (PR)My son, (PS)if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice (PT)for understanding,
4 if you seek it like (PU)silver
and search for it as for (PV)hidden treasures,
5 then (PW)you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For (PX)the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is (PY)a shield to those who (PZ)walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and (QA)watching over the way of his (QB)saints.
9 (QC)Then you will understand (QD)righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 (QE)discretion will (QF)watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to (QG)walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who (QH)rejoice in doing evil
and (QI)delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose (QJ)paths are crooked,
(QK)and who are (QL)devious in their ways.
16 So (QM)you will be delivered from the forbidden[ad] woman,
from (QN)the adulteress[ae] with (QO)her smooth words,
17 who forsakes (QP)the companion of her youth
and forgets (QQ)the covenant of her God;
18 (QR)for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;[af]
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.
20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright (QS)will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be (QT)cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be (QU)rooted out of it.
Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
3 (QV)My son, do not forget my teaching,
(QW)but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for (QX)length of days and years of life
and (QY)peace they will add to you.
3 Let not (QZ)steadfast love and (RA)faithfulness forsake you;
(RB)bind them around your neck;
(RC)write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will (RD)find favor and (RE)good success[ag]
in the sight of God and man.
5 (RF)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and (RG)do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways (RH)acknowledge him,
and he (RI)will make straight your paths.
7 (RJ)Be not wise in your own eyes;
(RK)fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be (RL)healing to your flesh[ah]
and (RM)refreshment[ai] to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with (RN)the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your (RO)barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
11 (RP)My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as (RQ)a father the son in whom he delights.
Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom
13 (RR)Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
14 (RS)for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than (RT)gold.
15 She is more precious than (RU)jewels,
and (RV)nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 (RW)Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are (RX)riches and honor.
17 Her (RY)ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is (RZ)a tree of life to those who (SA)lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.
19 (SB)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding (SC)he established the heavens;
20 by his knowledge (SD)the deeps broke open,
and (SE)the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, (SF)do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be (SG)life for your soul
and (SH)adornment for your neck.
23 (SI)Then you will walk on your way securely,
(SJ)and your foot will not stumble.
24 (SK)If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, (SL)your sleep will be sweet.
25 (SM)Do not be afraid of sudden terror
or of (SN)the ruin[aj] of the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
and will (SO)keep your foot from being caught.
27 (SP)Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,[ak]
when it is in your power to do it.
28 (SQ)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
29 (SR)Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
who (SS)dwells trustingly beside you.
30 (ST)Do not contend with a man for no reason,
when he has done you no harm.
31 (SU)Do not envy (SV)a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for (SW)the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are (SX)in his confidence.
33 (SY)The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he (SZ)blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Toward the (TA)scorners he (TB)is scornful,
(TC)but to the humble he gives favor.[al]
35 The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get[am] disgrace.
A Father's Wise Instruction
4 (TD)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
and be attentive, that you may (TE)gain[an] insight,
2 for I give you good (TF)precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
(TG)tender, (TH)the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he (TI)taught me and said to me,
(TJ)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
(TK)keep my commandments, and live.
5 (TL)Get wisdom; get (TM)insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
(TN)love her, and she will guard you.
7 (TO)The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get (TP)insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will (TQ)honor you (TR)if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (TS)a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
10 (TT)Hear, (TU)my son, and accept my words,
that (TV)the years of your life may be many.
11 I have (TW)taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, (TX)your step will not be hampered,
and (TY)if you run, you will not stumble.
13 (TZ)Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your (UA)life.
14 (UB)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (UC)cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
(UD)and drink the wine of violence.
18 But (UE)the path of the righteous is like (UF)the light of dawn,
which shines (UG)brighter and brighter until (UH)full day.
19 (UI)The way of the wicked is like deep (UJ)darkness;
they do not know over what they (UK)stumble.
20 (UL)My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (UM)Let them not escape from your sight;
(UN)keep them within your heart.
22 For they are (UO)life to those who find them,
and healing to all their[ao] flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for (UP)from it flow (UQ)the springs of life.
24 Put away from you (UR)crooked speech,
and put (US)devious talk far from you.
25 (UT)Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 (UU)Ponder[ap] the path of your feet;
(UV)then all your ways will be sure.
27 (UW)Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
Warning Against Adultery
5 (UX)My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
(UY)incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep (UZ)discretion,
and your lips may (VA)guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of (VB)a forbidden[aq] woman drip honey,
and her speech[ar] is (VC)smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is (VD)bitter as (VE)wormwood,
(VF)sharp as (VG)a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (VH)go down to death;
her steps follow the path to[as] Sheol;
6 she (VI)does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 And (VJ)now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your (VK)labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you (VL)groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, (VM)“How I hated discipline,
and my heart (VN)despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 (VO)I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”
15 Drink (VP)water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your (VQ)springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water (VR)in the streets?
17 (VS)Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (VT)fountain be blessed,
and (VU)rejoice in (VV)the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely (VW)deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts (VX)fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated[at] always in her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with (VY)a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of (VZ)an adulteress?[au]
21 For (WA)a man's ways are (WB)before the eyes of the Lord,
and he (WC)ponders[av] all his paths.
22 The (WD)iniquities of the wicked (WE)ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23 (WF)He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is (WG)led astray.
Practical Warnings
6 My son, if you have put up (WH)security for your neighbor,
have (WI)given your pledge for a stranger,
2 if you are (WJ)snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,
3 then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten,[aw] and (WK)plead urgently with your neighbor.
4 (WL)Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,[ax]
(WM)like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 (WN)Go to (WO)the ant, O (WP)sluggard;
consider her ways, and (WQ)be wise.
7 (WR)Without having any chief,
(WS)officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread (WT)in summer
and (WU)gathers her food in harvest.
9 (WV)How long will you lie there, (WW)O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 (WX)A little sleep, a little slumber,
(WY)a little (WZ)folding of the hands to rest,
11 (XA)and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
12 (XB)A worthless person, a wicked man,
goes about with (XC)crooked speech,
13 (XD)winks with his eyes, signals[ay] with his feet,
points with his finger,
14 with (XE)perverted heart (XF)devises evil,
continually (XG)sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
(XH)in a moment he will be broken (XI)beyond healing.
16 There are (XJ)six things that the Lord hates,
(XK)seven that are an abomination to him:
17 (XL)haughty eyes, (XM)a lying tongue,
and (XN)hands that shed innocent blood,
18 (XO)a heart that devises wicked plans,
(XP)feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 (XQ)a false witness who (XR)breathes out lies,
and one who (XS)sows discord among brothers.
Warnings Against Adultery
20 (XT)My son, keep your father's commandment,
(XU)and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21 (XV)Bind them on your heart always;
(XW)tie them around your neck.
22 (XX)When you walk, they[az] will lead you;
(XY)when you lie down, they will (XZ)watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is (YA)a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the (YB)reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,[ba]
from the smooth tongue of (YC)the adulteress.[bb]
25 (YD)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her (YE)eyelashes;
26 for (YF)the price of a prostitute is only (YG)a loaf of bread,[bc]
but a married woman[bd] (YH)hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry (YI)fire next to his (YJ)chest
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one (YK)walk on hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife;
none who touches her (YL)will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to (YM)satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31 but (YN)if he is caught, he will pay (YO)sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For (YP)jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when (YQ)he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation;
he will refuse though you multiply gifts.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.