Bible in 90 Days
Praise the Lord’s Wonderful Works. Futility of Idols.
135 [a](A)Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, you (B)servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the (C)courtyards of the house of our God!
3 [c]Praise [d]the Lord, for (D)the Lord is good;
(E)Sing praises to His name, (F)for it is lovely.
4 For [e]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 (J)above all gods.
6 (K)Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.
7 [f]He (L)causes the [g]mist to ascend from the ends of the earth,
[h]He (M)makes lightning for the rain;
[i]He (N)brings forth the wind from His treasuries.
8 [j]He (O)struck the firstborn of Egypt,
[k]Both human firstborn and animal.
9 [l]He sent (P)signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
Upon (Q)Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 [m](R)He (S)struck many nations
And brought death to mighty kings,
11 (T)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
(U)Og, king of Bashan,
And (V)all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He (W)gave their land as an inheritance,
An inheritance to His people Israel.
13 Your (X)name, Lord, is everlasting,
The mention of You, Lord, is [n]throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will (Y)judge His people
And (Z)will have compassion on His servants.
15 The (AA)idols of the nations are nothing but silver and gold,
The work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will become like them,
Yes, everyone who trusts in them.
19 House of (AB)Israel, bless the Lord;
House of Aaron, bless the Lord;
20 House of Levi, bless the Lord;
You (AC)who [o]revere the Lord, bless the Lord.
21 Blessed be the Lord (AD)from Zion,
Who (AE)dwells in Jerusalem.
[p]Praise [q]the Lord!
Thanks for the Lord’s Goodness to Israel.
136 (AF)Give thanks to the Lord, for (AG)He is good,
For (AH)His [r]faithfulness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the (AI)God of gods,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the (AJ)Lord of lords,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
4 To Him who (AK)alone does great [s]wonders,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
5 To Him who (AL)made the heavens [t](AM)with skill,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
6 To Him who (AN)spread out the earth above the waters,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
7 To Him who (AO)made the great lights,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
8 The (AP)sun to rule [u]by day,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
9 The (AQ)moon and stars to rule [v]by night,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
10 To Him who (AR)struck [w]the Egyptians, that is, their firstborn,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
11 And (AS)brought Israel out from their midst,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
12 With a (AT)strong hand and an (AU)outstretched arm,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
13 To Him who (AV)divided the [x]Red Sea in parts,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
14 And (AW)allowed Israel to pass through the midst of it,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
15 But (AX)He [y]overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the [z]Red Sea,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
16 To Him who (AY)led His people through the wilderness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
17 To Him who (AZ)struck great kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
18 And (BA)brought death to [aa]mighty kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
19 (BB)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
20 And (BC)Og, king of Bashan,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
21 And (BD)gave their land as an inheritance,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
22 An inheritance to His (BE)servant Israel,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
23 Who (BF)remembered us in our lowliness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
24 And has (BG)rescued us from our enemies,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
25 Who (BH)gives food to all flesh,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the (BI)God of heaven,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
An Experience of the Captivity.
137 By the (BJ)rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down and (BK)wept,
When we remembered Zion.
2 Upon the [ab](BL)willows in the midst of it
We (BM)hung our [ac]harps.
3 For there our captors [ad](BN)demanded of us [ae]songs,
And (BO)our tormentors, jubilation, saying,
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How can we sing (BP)the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?
5 If I (BQ)forget you, Jerusalem,
May my right hand [af]forget its skill.
6 May my (BR)tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not remember you,
If I do not [ag](BS)exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
7 Remember, Lord, against the sons of (BT)Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Those who said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare
(BU)To its foundation!”
8 Daughter of Babylon, you [ah](BV)devastated one,
Blessed will be one who (BW)repays you
With [ai]the retribution with which you have repaid us.
9 Blessed will be one who seizes and (BX)dashes your children
Against the rock.
Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor.
A Psalm of David.
138 (BY)I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing Your praises before the (BZ)gods.
2 I will bow down (CA)toward Your holy temple
And (CB)give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your [aj]truth;
For You have (CC)made Your [ak]word great [al]according to all Your name.
3 On the day I (CD)called, You answered me;
You made me bold with (CE)strength in my soul.
4 (CF)All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, Lord,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
5 And they will (CG)sing of the ways of the Lord,
For (CH)great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For (CI)the Lord is exalted,
Yet He (CJ)looks after the lowly,
But He knows the (CK)haughty from afar.
7 Though I (CL)walk in the midst of trouble, You will [am](CM)revive me;
You will (CN)reach out with Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will (CO)save me.
8 The Lord will (CP)accomplish what concerns me;
Your (CQ)faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting;
(CR)Do not abandon the (CS)works of Your hands.
God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
139 Lord, You have (CT)searched me and known me.
2 You (CU)know [an]when I sit down and [ao]when I get up;
You (CV)understand my thought from far away.
3 You [ap](CW)scrutinize my [aq]path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 [ar]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, Lord, You (CX)know it all.
5 You have (CY)encircled me behind and in front,
And (CZ)placed Your hand upon me.
6 Such (DA)knowledge is (DB)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.
7 (DC)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 (DD)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in [as]Sheol, behold, (DE)You are there.
9 If I take up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will (DF)lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the (DG)darkness will [at]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even (DH)darkness is not dark [au]to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
(DI)Darkness and light are alike to You.
13 For You (DJ)created my innermost parts;
You (DK)wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, because [av]I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
(DL)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [aw](DM)frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the (DN)depths of the earth;
16 Your (DO)eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in (DP)Your book were written
All the (DQ)days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious also are Your (DR)thoughts for me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would (DS)outnumber the sand.
When (DT)I awake, I am still with You.
19 If only You would (DU)put the wicked to death, God;
(DV)Leave me, (DW)you men of bloodshed.
20 For they (DX)speak [ax]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies [ay](DY)take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not (DZ)hate those who hate You, Lord?
And do I not (EA)loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
23 (EB)Search me, God, and know my heart;
(EC)Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there is any [az](ED)hurtful way in me,
And (EE)lead me in the (EF)everlasting way.
Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
140 (EG)Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
Protect me from (EH)violent men
2 Who (EI)devise evil things in their hearts;
They (EJ)continually stir up wars.
3 They (EK)sharpen their tongues like a snake;
(EL)The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah
4 (EM)Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
(EN)Protect me from violent men
Who [ba]intend to [bb](EO)trip up my feet.
5 The proud have (EP)hidden a trap for me, and snares;
They have spread a (EQ)net at the [bc]wayside;
They have set (ER)snares for me. Selah
6 I (ES)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
(ET)Listen, Lord, to the (EU)sound of my pleadings.
7 [bd]God the Lord, (EV)the strength of my salvation,
You have (EW)covered my head on the day of [be]battle.
8 Do not grant, Lord, the (EX)desires of the wicked;
Do not bring about (EY)his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah
9 “As for the head of those who surround me,
May the (EZ)harm of their lips cover them.
10 May (FA)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be (FB)cast into the fire,
Into bottomless pits from which they (FC)cannot rise.
11 May a [bf]slanderer not endure on the earth;
(FD)May evil hunt a violent person [bg]violently.”
12 I know that the Lord will (FE)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And (FF)justice for the poor.
13 Certainly the (FG)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The (FH)upright will dwell in Your presence.
An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.
A Psalm of David.
141 Lord, I call upon You; (FI)hurry to me!
(FJ)Listen to my voice when I call to You!
2 May my prayer be [bh]counted as (FK)incense before You;
The (FL)raising of my hands as the (FM)evening offering.
3 Set a (FN)guard, Lord, [bi]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (FO)door of my lips.
4 (FP)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds [bj]of wickedness
With people who (FQ)do wrong;
And (FR)may I not taste their delicacies.
5 May the (FS)righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me;
It is (FT)oil for the head;
My head shall not refuse it,
For my prayer (FU)is still against their evil deeds.
6 Their judges are (FV)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one (FW)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our (FX)bones have been scattered at the (FY)mouth of [bk]Sheol.
8 For my (FZ)eyes are toward You, [bl]God, the Lord;
In You I (GA)take refuge; (GB)do not [bm]leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the [bn](GC)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (GD)snares of those who do wrong.
10 May the wicked (GE)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by [bo](GF)safely.
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[bp]Maskil of David, when he was [bq]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (GG)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I (GH)implore the Lord for compassion.
2 I (GI)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (GJ)trouble before Him.
3 When (GK)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (GL)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (GM)no one who regards me favorably;
[br]There is no (GN)escape for me;
(GO)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are (GP)my refuge,
My (GQ)portion in the (GR)land of the living.
6 (GS)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been (GT)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too (GU)strong for me.
7 (GV)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (GW)look after me.”
Prayer for Help and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, Lord,
(GX)Listen to my pleadings!
Answer me in Your (GY)faithfulness, in Your (GZ)righteousness!
2 And (HA)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For (HB)no person living is righteous in Your sight.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life (HC)to the ground;
He (HD)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore (HE)my spirit [bs]feels weak within me;
My heart is [bt](HF)appalled within me.
5 I (HG)remember the days of old;
I (HH)meditate on all Your accomplishments;
I (HI)reflect on the work of Your hands.
6 I (HJ)spread out my hands to You;
My (HK)soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah
7 (HL)Answer me quickly, Lord, my (HM)spirit fails;
(HN)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will be the same as (HO)those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear Your (HP)faithfulness (HQ)in the morning,
For I trust (HR)in You;
Teach me the (HS)way in which I should walk;
For to You I (HT)lift up my soul.
9 (HU)Save me, Lord, from my enemies;
[bu]I take refuge in You.
10 (HV)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let (HW)Your good Spirit (HX)lead me on level [bv]ground.
11 (HY)For the sake of Your name, Lord, (HZ)revive me.
(IA)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your faithfulness, [bw](IB)destroy my enemies,
And (IC)eliminate all those who attack my soul,
For (ID)I am Your servant.
Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, (IE)my rock,
Who (IF)trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My faithfulness and (IG)my fortress,
My (IH)stronghold and my savior,
My (II)shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who (IJ)subdues [bx]my people under me.
3 Lord, (IK)what is man, that You look after him?
Or a son of man, that You think of him?
4 (IL)Man is like the breath;
His (IM)days are like a passing shadow.
5 (IN)Bend down Your heavens, Lord, and (IO)come down;
(IP)Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Flash forth (IQ)lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your (IR)arrows and confuse them.
7 Reach out with Your hand (IS)from on high;
Rescue me and (IT)save me from great waters,
From the hand of (IU)foreigners
8 Whose mouths (IV)speak deceit,
And whose (IW)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 God, I will sing a (IX)new song to You;
On a (IY)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who (IZ)gives salvation to kings,
Who (JA)rescues His servant David from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and save me from the hand of (JB)foreigners,
Whose mouth (JC)speaks deceit
And whose (JD)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 When our sons in their youth are like (JE)growing plants,
And our daughters like (JF)corner pillars [by]fashioned for a palace,
13 Our (JG)granaries are full, providing every kind of produce,
And our flocks deliver thousands and ten thousands in our [bz]fields;
14 May our (JH)cattle [ca]be bred
Without [cb](JI)mishap and without [cc](JJ)loss,
May there be no (JK)outcry in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people who are so situated;
(JL)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
The Lord Exalted for His Goodness.
A Psalm of Praise, of David.
145 I will (JM)exalt You, (JN)my God, the King,
And I will (JO)bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will (JP)praise Your name forever and ever.
3 (JQ)Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised;
And His (JR)greatness is unsearchable.
4 One (JS)generation will praise Your works to another,
And will declare Your mighty acts.
5 On the (JT)glorious [cd]splendor of Your majesty
And (JU)on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
6 People will speak of the [ce]power of Your (JV)awesome acts,
And I will (JW)tell of Your greatness.
7 They will burst forth [cf]in speaking of Your (JX)abundant goodness,
And will (JY)shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
8 The Lord is (JZ)gracious and compassionate;
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
9 The Lord is (KA)good to all,
And His (KB)mercies are over all His works.
10 (KC)All Your works will give thanks to You, Lord,
And Your (KD)godly ones will bless You.
11 They will speak of the (KE)glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your might,
12 To (KF)make known to the sons of mankind [cg]Your mighty acts,
And the (KG)glory of the majesty of [ch]Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is [ci]an (KH)everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[cj]The Lord is faithful in His words,
And holy in all His works.
14 The Lord (KI)supports all who fall,
And (KJ)raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all [ck]look to You,
And You (KK)give them their food in due time.
16 You (KL)open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is (KM)righteous in all His ways,
And kind in all His works.
18 The Lord is (KN)near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him (KO)in truth.
19 He will (KP)fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also (KQ)hear their cry for help and save them.
20 The Lord (KR)watches over all who love Him,
But He will destroy all the (KS)wicked.
21 My (KT)mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And (KU)all flesh will (KV)bless His holy name forever and ever.
The Lord, an Abundant Helper.
146 [cl]Praise [cm]the Lord!
(KW)Praise the Lord, my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (KX)while I live;
I will (KY)sing praises to my God while I [cn]have my being.
3 (KZ)Do not trust in noblemen,
In [co]mortal (LA)man, in whom there is (LB)no salvation.
4 His (LC)spirit departs, he (LD)returns to [cp]the earth;
On that very day his (LE)plans perish.
5 (LF)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose (LG)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who (LH)made heaven and earth,
The (LI)sea and everything that is in them;
Who (LJ)keeps [cq]faith forever;
7 Who (LK)executes justice for the oppressed;
Who (LL)gives food to the hungry.
The Lord (LM)frees the prisoners.
8 The Lord (LN)opens the eyes of those who are blind;
The Lord (LO)raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord (LP)loves the righteous.
9 The Lord (LQ)watches over strangers;
He [cr](LR)supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [cs]thwarts (LS)the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will (LT)reign forever,
Your God, Zion, to all generations.
[ct]Praise [cu]the Lord!
Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.
147 [cv]Praise [cw]the Lord!
For (LU)it is good to sing praises to our God;
For [cx]it is pleasant and praise is [cy](LV)beautiful.
2 The Lord (LW)builds up Jerusalem;
He (LX)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the (LY)brokenhearted
And (LZ)binds up their [cz]wounds.
4 He (MA)counts the number of the stars;
He [da](MB)gives names to all of them.
5 (MC)Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His (MD)understanding is [db]infinite.
6 The Lord [dc](ME)supports the afflicted;
He brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 (MF)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre;
8 It is He who (MG)covers the heavens with clouds,
Who (MH)provides rain for the earth,
Who (MI)makes grass sprout on the mountains.
9 It is He who (MJ)gives an animal its food,
And feeds (MK)young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in [dd]the strength of the (ML)horse;
He (MM)does not take pleasure in the [de]legs of a man.
11 The Lord (MN)favors those who fear Him,
(MO)Those who wait for His [df]faithfulness.
12 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Praise your God, Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the (MP)bars of your gates;
He has (MQ)blessed your sons among you.
14 He (MR)makes [dg]peace in your borders;
He (MS)satisfies you with (MT)the [dh]finest of the wheat.
15 He sends His (MU)command to the earth;
His (MV)word runs very swiftly.
16 He [di]showers (MW)snow like wool;
He scatters the (MX)frost like ashes.
17 He hurls His (MY)ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His (MZ)cold?
18 He (NA)sends His word and makes them melt;
He (NB)makes His wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He (NC)declares His words to Jacob,
His (ND)statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He (NE)has not dealt this way with any other nation;
And as for His judgments, [dj]they have (NF)not known them.
[dk]Praise [dl]the Lord!
The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.
148 [dm]Praise [dn]the Lord!
Praise the Lord (NG)from the heavens;
Praise Him (NH)in the heights!
2 Praise Him, (NI)all His angels;
Praise Him, (NJ)all His heavenly armies!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
4 Praise Him, [do](NK)highest heavens,
And the (NL)waters that are above the heavens!
5 They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For (NM)He commanded and they were created.
6 He has also (NN)established them forever and ever;
He has made a (NO)decree, and it will not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
(NP)Sea monsters, and all the ocean (NQ)depths;
8 (NR)Fire and hail, (NS)snow and (NT)clouds;
(NU)Stormy wind, (NV)fulfilling His word;
9 (NW)Mountains and all hills;
Fruit (NX)trees and all cedars;
10 (NY)Animals and all cattle;
(NZ)Crawling things and winged fowl;
11 (OA)Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Rulers and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.
13 They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For His (OB)name alone is exalted;
His (OC)majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 And He has (OD)lifted up a horn for His people,
(OE)Praise for all His godly ones,
For the sons of Israel, a people (OF)near to Him.
[dp]Praise [dq]the Lord!
Israel Invoked to Praise the Lord.
149 [dr]Praise [ds]the Lord!
Sing a (OG)new song to the Lord,
And His praise (OH)in the congregation of the godly ones.
2 Israel shall be joyful in (OI)his Maker;
The sons of Zion shall rejoice in their (OJ)King.
3 They shall praise His name with (OK)dancing;
They shall sing praises to Him with (OL)tambourine and lyre.
4 For the Lord (OM)takes pleasure in His people;
He will (ON)glorify the lowly with salvation.
5 The (OO)godly ones shall be jubilant in glory;
They shall (OP)sing for joy on their beds.
6 The (OQ)high praises of God shall be in their [dt]mouths,
And a (OR)two-edged (OS)sword in their hands,
7 To (OT)execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishment on the peoples,
8 To bind their kings (OU)with chains,
And their (OV)dignitaries with shackles of iron,
9 To (OW)execute against them the judgment written.
This is an (OX)honor for all His godly ones.
[du]Praise [dv]the Lord!
A Psalm of Praise.
150 [dw]Praise [dx]the Lord!
Praise God in His (OY)sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty [dy](OZ)expanse.
2 Praise Him for His (PA)mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent (PB)greatness.
3 Praise Him with (PC)trumpet sound;
Praise Him with (PD)harp and lyre.
4 Praise Him with (PE)tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with (PF)stringed instruments and (PG)flute.
5 Praise Him with loud (PH)cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
6 (PI)Everything that has breath shall praise [dz]the Lord.
[ea]Praise [eb]the Lord!
The Usefulness of Proverbs
1 The (PJ)proverbs of Solomon (PK)the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know (PL)wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of (PM)understanding,
3 To (PN)receive instruction in wise behavior,
(PO)Righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 To give (PP)prudence to the naive,
To the youth (PQ)knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise person will hear and (PR)increase in learning,
And a (PS)person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a saying,
The words of the wise and their (PT)riddles.
7 (PU)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (PV)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And (PW)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
9 For they are a (PX)graceful wreath for your head
And (PY)necklaces for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (PZ)entice you,
(QA)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let’s (QB)lie in wait for blood,
Let’s (QC)ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let’s (QD)swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, like those who (QE)go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with plunder;
14 Throw in your lot [ec]with us;
We will all have one money bag,”
15 My son, (QF)do not walk on the way with them.
(QG)Keep your feet from their path,
16 For (QH)their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is [ed]useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any [ee]bird;
18 But they (QI)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who (QJ)makes unjust gain;
It takes away the life of its possessors.
Wisdom Warns
20 (QK)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She [ef]raises her voice in the public square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:
22 “How long, you (QL)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will (QM)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools (QN)hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my rebuke,
Behold, I will (QO)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because (QP)I called and you (QQ)refused,
I (QR)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you (QS)neglected all my advice
And did not (QT)want my rebuke;
26 I will also (QU)laugh at your (QV)disaster;
I will mock when your (QW)dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a (QX)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will (QY)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will (QZ)seek me diligently but will not find me,
29 Because they (RA)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They (RB)did not accept my advice,
They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.
31 So they shall (RC)eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be (RD)filled with their own schemes.
32 For the (RE)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But (RF)whoever listens to me will live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security
2 My son, if you will (RG)receive my words
And (RH)treasure my commandments within you,
2 (RI)Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
3 For if you cry out for insight,
And [eg]raise your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as (RJ)silver
And search for her as for (RK)hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the (RL)fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For (RM)the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a (RN)shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He (RO)watches over the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern (RP)righteousness, justice,
And integrity, and every (RQ)good path.
10 For (RR)wisdom will enter your heart,
And (RS)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
11 Discretion will (RT)watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,
12 To (RU)rescue you from the way of evil,
From a person who speaks (RV)perverse things;
13 From those who (RW)leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the (RX)ways of darkness;
14 Who (RY)delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are (RZ)crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
16 To (SA)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the (SB)foreign woman who flatters with her words,
17 Who leaves the (SC)companion of her youth
And forgets the (SD)covenant of her God;
18 For (SE)her house sinks down to death,
And her tracks lead to the [eh]dead;
19 None (SF)who go to her return,
Nor do they reach the (SG)paths of life.
20 So you will (SH)walk in the way of good people
And keep to the (SI)paths of the righteous.
21 For (SJ)the upright will live in the land,
And (SK)the blameless will remain in it;
22 But (SL)the wicked will be eliminated from the land,
And (SM)the treacherous will be (SN)torn away from it.
The Rewards of Wisdom
3 My son, (SO)do not forget my [ei]teaching,
But have your heart (SP)comply with my commandments;
2 For (SQ)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let (SR)kindness and truth leave you;
(SS)Bind them around your neck,
(ST)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will (SU)find favor and a (SV)good [ej]reputation
In the sight of God and man.
5 (SW)Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And (SX)do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways (SY)acknowledge Him,
And He will (SZ)make your paths straight.
7 (TA)Do not be wise in your own eyes;
(TB)Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be (TC)healing to your [ek]body
And (TD)refreshment to your bones.
9 (TE)Honor the Lord from your wealth,
And from the (TF)first of all your produce;
10 Then your (TG)barns will be filled with plenty,
And your (TH)vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (TI)My son, do not reject the [el]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His rebuke,
12 For (TJ)whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
Just (TK)as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
13 (TL)Blessed is a person who finds wisdom,
And one who obtains understanding.
14 For [em]her (TM)profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her produce better than gold.
15 She is (TN)more precious than [en]jewels,
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 [eo](TO)Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are (TP)riches and honor.
17 Her (TQ)ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are (TR)peace.
18 She is a (TS)tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are those who hold on to her.
19 The Lord founded the earth (TT)by wisdom,
He (TU)established the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the (TV)ocean depths were burst open,
And the (TW)clouds drip with dew.
21 My son, see that (TX)they do not escape from your sight;
Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,
22 And they will be (TY)life to your soul
And (TZ)adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will (UA)walk in your way securely,
And your foot will not (UB)stumble.
24 When you (UC)lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 (UD)Do not be afraid of sudden danger,
Nor of (UE)trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be [ep]your confidence,
And will (UF)keep your foot from being caught.
27 (UG)Do not withhold good from [eq]those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
28 (UH)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it to you,”
When you have it with you.
29 (UI)Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 (UJ)Do not contend with a person for no reason,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (UK)Do not envy a violent person,
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the (UL)devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But [er]He is (UM)intimate with the upright.
33 The (UN)curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He (UO)blesses the home of the righteous.
34 Though (UP)He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet (UQ)He gives grace to the needy.
35 (UR)The wise will inherit honor,
But fools [es]increase dishonor.
A Father’s Instruction
4 Listen, my sons, to the (US)instruction of a father,
And (UT)pay attention so that you may [et]gain understanding,
2 For I give you good (UU)teaching;
(UV)Do not abandon my [eu]instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
(UW)Tender and (UX)the only son in the sight of my mother,
4 He (UY)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart (UZ)take hold of my words;
(VA)Keep my commandments and live;
5 (VB)Acquire wisdom! (VC)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
(VD)Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 (VE)The [ev]beginning of wisdom is: (VF)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
8 (VG)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place (VH)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Listen, my son, and (VI)accept my sayings,
And the (VJ)years of your life will be many.
11 I have (VK)instructed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
12 When you walk, your (VL)steps will not be hampered;
And if you run, you (VM)will not stumble.
13 (VN)Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your (VO)life.
14 (VP)Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil people.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (VQ)cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And [ew]they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 For they (VR)eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the (VS)path of the righteous is like the (VT)light of dawn
That (VU)shines brighter and brighter until the (VV)full day.
19 The (VW)way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they [ex](VX)stumble.
20 My son, (VY)pay attention to my words;
(VZ)Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (WA)They are not to escape from your sight;
(WB)Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are (WC)life to those who find them,
And (WD)healing to all [ey]their body.
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For (WE)from it flow the springs of life.
24 Rid yourself of a (WF)deceitful mouth
And (WG)keep devious [ez]speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your [fa]gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 (WH)[fb]Watch the path of your feet,
And all your (WI)ways will be established.
27 (WJ)Do not turn to the right or to the left;
(WK)Turn your foot from evil.
Pitfalls of Immorality
5 My son, (WL)pay attention to my wisdom,
(WM)Incline your ear to my understanding,
2 So that you may (WN)maintain discretion
And your (WO)lips may comply with knowledge.
3 For the lips of an [fc](WP)adulteress (WQ)drip honey,
And her [fd]speech is (WR)smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is (WS)bitter as wormwood,
(WT)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet (WU)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
6 [fe]She does not ponder the (WV)path of life;
Her ways are (WW)unstable, she (WX)does not know it.
7 (WY)Now then, my sons, listen to me
And (WZ)do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
8 (XA)Keep your way far from her,
And do not go near the (XB)door of her house,
9 Otherwise you will give your vigor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 And strangers will be filled with your strength,
And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you will groan [ff]in [fg]the end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;
12 And you say, “How I (XC)hated instruction!
And my heart (XD)disdainfully rejected rebuke!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my (XE)teachers,
Nor incline my ear to my instructors!
14 I was almost in total ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And [fh]fresh water from your own well.
16 Should your (XF)springs overflow into the street,
Streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (XG)fountain be blessed,
And (XH)rejoice in the (XI)wife of your youth.
19 Like a loving (XJ)doe and a graceful mountain goat,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be [fi]exhilarated always with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an [fj](XK)adulteress,
And embrace the breasts of a (XL)foreigner?
21 For the (XM)ways of everyone are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He (XN)observes all his paths.
22 His (XO)own wrongdoings will trap the wicked,
And he will be held by the ropes of his sin.
23 He will (XP)die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray.
Parental Counsel
6 My son, if you have become a (XQ)guarantor for your neighbor,
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
2 If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
3 Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the [fk]hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
4 Give no (XR)sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a (XS)bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the (XT)ant, you [fl](XU)lazy one,
Observe its ways and be wise,
7 Which, having (XV)no chief,
Officer, or ruler,
8 Prepares its food (XW)in the summer
And gathers its provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, you [fm]lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “(XX)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [fn]rest,”
11 (XY)Then your poverty will come in like a [fo]drifter,
And your need like [fp]an armed man.
12 A (XZ)worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a (YA)perverse mouth,
13 Who (YB)winks with his eyes, who [fq]signals with his feet,
Who [fr]points with his fingers;
14 Who, with (YC)perversion in his heart, continually (YD)devises evil,
Who [fs](YE)spreads strife.
15 Therefore (YF)his disaster will come suddenly;
(YG)Instantly he will be broken and there will be (YH)no healing.
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
Seven that are an abomination [ft]to Him:
17 (YI)Haughty eyes, a (YJ)lying tongue,
And hands that (YK)shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises (YL)wicked plans,
(YM)Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A (YN)false witness who declares lies,
And one who [fu](YO)spreads strife among brothers.
20 (YP)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the [fv]teaching of your mother;
21 (YQ)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (YR)walk, [fw]they will guide you;
When you sleep, [fx]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, [fy]they will talk to you.
23 For (YS)the commandment is a lamp and the [fz]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
24 To (YT)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
25 (YU)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her (YV)eyelids.
26 For (YW)the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread,
And [ga]an adulteress (YX)hunts for a precious life.
27 Can anyone take fire in his lap
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can a person walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?
29 So is the one who (YY)goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her (YZ)will not [gb]go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
To (ZA)satisfy [gc]himself when he is hungry;
31 But when he is found, he must (ZB)repay seven times as much;
He must give up all the property of his house.
32 One who commits adultery with a woman is (ZC)lacking [gd]sense;
He who would (ZD)destroy [ge]himself commits it.
33 He will find wounds and disgrace,
And his shame will not be removed.
34 For (ZE)jealousy [gf]enrages a man,
And he will not have compassion on the (ZF)day of vengeance.
35 He will not [gg]accept any settlement,
Nor will he be [gh]satisfied though you make it a large gift.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.