Old/New Testament
16 The [a](A)plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own sight,
But (B)Yahweh weighs the [b]motives.
3 [c](C)Commit your works to Yahweh
And your [d]plans will be established.
4 Yahweh (D)has made everything for [e]its own purpose,
Even the (E)wicked for the day of evil.
5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh;
Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.
6 By (F)lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the [f](G)fear of Yahweh one turns away from evil.
7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to Yahweh,
He (H)makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness
Than great produce with injustice.
9 The heart of (I)man [g]plans his way,
But (J)Yahweh [h]directs his steps.
10 A divine (K)decision is in the lips of the king;
His mouth should not [i]err in judgment.
11 A (L)just balance and scales belong to Yahweh;
All the [j]weights of the bag are His [k]work.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For in righteousness a (M)throne is established.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And he who speaks uprightly is loved.
14 The wrath of a king is like messengers of death,
But a wise man will atone for it.
15 In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the [l](N)late rain.
16 How much (O)better it is to acquire wisdom than fine gold!
And to acquire understanding is to be chosen above silver.
17 The (P)highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
He who guards his way keeps his [m]soul.
18 (Q)Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
19 It is better to be (R)humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to (S)divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He who considers the word will (T)find good,
And how (U)blessed is he who trusts in Yahweh.
21 The (V)wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of [n]lips (W)increases learning.
22 Insight is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the discipline of ignorant fools is [o]folly.
23 The (X)heart of the wise gives insight to his mouth
And increases learning to his lips.
24 (Y)Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and (Z)healing to the bones.
25 (AA)There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
26 A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his mouth urges him on.
27 A (AB)vile man digs up evil,
And the words on his lips are like (AC)scorching fire.
28 A perverse man spreads strife,
And a whisperer separates close companions.
29 A man of violence (AD)entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.
31 (AE)Gray hair is a crown of beauty;
It (AF)is found in the way of righteousness.
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his own spirit, than he who captures a city.
33 The (AG)lot is cast into the lap,
But its every (AH)judgment is from Yahweh.
17 (AI)Better is a dry morsel and tranquility with it
Than a house full of [p]feasting with strife.
2 A slave who acts insightfully will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The (AJ)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But (AK)Yahweh tests hearts.
4 An (AL)evildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness;
[q]A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 He who mocks the (AM)poor reproaches his Maker;
He who is (AN)glad at disaster will not go unpunished.
6 [r](AO)Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the (AP)beauty of sons is their fathers.
7 (AQ)Excellent lips are not fitting for a [s]wicked fool,
Even less are (AR)lying lips for a noble man.
8 A (AS)bribe is a [t]charm in the eyes of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 He who (AT)covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter (AU)separates close companions.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who understands
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 A rebellious man seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a (AV)man meet a (AW)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13 He who (AX)returns evil for good,
(AY)Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So (AZ)abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
15 He who (BA)justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
16 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to (BB)acquire wisdom,
When [u]he has no heart of wisdom?
17 A (BC)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man lacking a heart of wisdom (BD)strikes his [v]hands in pledge
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
19 He who (BE)loves transgression loves quarreling;
He who (BF)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 He who has a crooked heart (BG)finds no good,
And he who is (BH)perverted in his tongue falls into evil.
21 He who (BI)begets a fool does so to his grief,
And the father of a wicked fool is not glad.
22 A (BJ)glad heart [w]is good medicine,
But a broken spirit (BK)dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man receives a (BL)bribe from the bosom
To (BM)thrust aside the paths of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the presence of the one who understands,
But the (BN)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A (BO)foolish son is a vexation to his father
And (BP)bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
26 It is also not good to (BQ)punish the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 He who (BR)holds back his words [x]has knowledge,
And he who has a (BS)cool spirit is a man of discernment.
28 Even an ignorant fool, when he (BT)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered understanding.
18 He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He (BU)breaks out in dispute against all sound wisdom.
2 A fool does not delight in discernment,
But only (BV)in revealing his own heart.
3 When a wicked man comes, despising also comes,
And with disgrace comes reproach.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are (BW)deep waters;
[y]The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.
5 To (BX)show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to (BY)thrust aside the righteous in judgment.
6 A fool’s lips come with strife,
And his mouth calls for (BZ)beatings.
7 A (CA)fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [z]innermost parts of the stomach.
9 He also who is (CB)slack in his work
(CC)Is brother to him who destroys.
10 The (CD)name of Yahweh is a (CE)strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is (CF)set securely on high.
11 A (CG)rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own delusion.
12 (CH)Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,
But (CI)humility goes before glory.
13 He who (CJ)responds with a word before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
14 The (CK)spirit of a man can endure his sickness,
But as for a (CL)broken spirit, who can bear it?
15 The (CM)heart of the understanding acquires knowledge,
And the (CN)ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man’s (CO)gift makes room for him
And leads him into the presence of great men.
17 The first [aa]to plead his case seems right,
Until [ab]another comes and examines him.
18 The cast (CP)lot puts an end to contentions
And [ac]decides between the mighty ones.
19 A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.
20 From the [ad](CQ)fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
(CR)With the produce of his lips he will be satisfied.
21 (CS)Death and life are in the [ae]power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its (CT)fruit.
22 He who finds a (CU)wife finds a good thing
And (CV)obtains favor from Yahweh.
23 The (CW)poor man speaks supplications,
But the (CX)rich man (CY)answers with strong words.
24 A man of too many friends comes to [af]ruin,
But there is (CZ)a [ag]friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Commendable Ministers of God
6 And (A)working together with Him, (B)we also plead with you not to receive (C)the grace of God in vain— 2 for He says,
“(D)At the acceptable time I listened to you,
And on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— 3 (E)giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4 but in everything (F)commending ourselves as (G)ministers of God, (H)in much perseverance, in afflictions, in distresses, in hardships, 5 in (I)beatings, in imprisonments, in (J)disturbances, in labors, in sleeplessness, in (K)hunger, 6 in purity, in (L)knowledge, in (M)patience, in kindness, in the (N)Holy Spirit, in (O)unhypocritical love, 7 in (P)the word of truth, in (Q)the power of God; by (R)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 by glory and (S)dishonor, by (T)evil report and good report; regarded as (U)deceivers and yet (V)true; 9 as unknown and yet well-known, as (W)dying and yet behold, (X)we live; as [a]punished and yet not put to death, 10 as (Y)sorrowful but always (Z)rejoicing, as (AA)poor but making many rich, as (AB)having nothing and yet possessing (AC)all things.
11 (AD)Our mouth [b]has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our (AE)heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restrained [c]by us, but (AF)you are restrained in your own [d]affections. 13 Now in a like (AG)exchange—I speak as to (AH)children—open wide to us also.
14 (AI)Do not be unequally yoked with (AJ)unbelievers; for what (AK)partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what (AL)harmony has Christ with [e]Belial, or [f]what has a (AM)believer in common with an (AN)unbeliever? 16 Or (AO)what agreement has a [g]sanctuary of God with idols? For we are (AP)a sanctuary of (AQ)the living God; just as God said,
“(AR)I will (AS)dwell in them and (AT)walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17 (AU)Therefore, (AV)come out from their midst and be separate,” says the [h]Lord.
“And do not touch what is unclean,
And I will welcome you.
18 (AW)And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be (AX)sons and daughters to Me,”
says the [i]Lord Almighty.
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