Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21 Yes,[a] my spirit was bitter,[b]
and my insides felt sharp pain.[c]
22 I was ignorant[d] and lacked insight;[e]
I was as senseless as an animal before you.[f]
23 But I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide[g] me by your wise advice,
and then you will lead me to a position of honor.[h]
25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
On earth there is no one I desire but you.[i]
26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak,[j]
but God always[k] protects my heart and gives me stability.[l]
27 Yes,[m] look! Those far from you[n] die;
you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you.[o]
28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need.[p]
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
as[q] I declare all the things you have done.
Proverbs of Solomon Collected by Hezekiah
25 These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah copied:[a]
and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter.
3 As the heaven is high[d] and the earth is deep
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.[e]
4 Remove the dross from the silver,
and material[f] for the silversmith will emerge;
5 remove the wicked from before the king,[g]
and his throne[h] will be established in righteousness.[i]
6 Do not honor yourself before the king,
and do not stand in the place of great men;
7 for it is better for him[j] to say to you, “Come up here,”[k]
than to put you lower[l] before a prince,
whom your eyes have seen.[m]
8 Do not go out hastily to litigation,[n]
or[o] what will you do afterward
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 When you argue a case[p] with your neighbor,
do not reveal the secret of another person,[q]
10 lest the one who hears it put you to shame
and your infamy[r] will never go away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,[s]
so is a word skillfully spoken.[t]
12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold,[u]
so is a wise reprover to the ear of the one who listens.[v]
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest,[w]
so is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
for he refreshes the heart[x] of his masters.
14 Like cloudy skies and wind that produce no rain,[y]
so is the one who boasts[z] of a gift not given.[aa]
15 Through patience[ab] a ruler can be persuaded,[ac]
and a soft tongue[ad] can break a bone.[ae]
16 You have found[af] honey—eat only what is sufficient for you,
lest you become stuffed with[ag] it and vomit it up.[ah]
17 Don’t set foot too frequently[ai] in your neighbor’s house,
lest he become weary[aj] of you and hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow,[ak]
so is the one who testifies against[al] his neighbor as a false witness.[am]
19 Like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint,[an]
so is confidence[ao] in an unfaithful person at the time of trouble.[ap]
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,[aq]
or like vinegar poured on soda,[ar]
so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.[as]
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22 for you will heap coals of fire on his head,[at]
and the Lord will reward you.[au]
23 The north wind[av] brings forth rain,
and a gossiping tongue[aw] brings forth[ax] an angry look.[ay]
24 It is better to live on a corner of the housetop
than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.[az]
25 Like cold water to a weary person,[ba]
so is good news from a distant land.[bb]
26 Like a muddied[bc] spring and a polluted[bd] well,
so is a righteous person who gives way[be] before the wicked.
27 It is not good[bf] to eat too much honey,
nor is it honorable for people to seek their own glory.[bg]
28 Like a city that is broken down and without a wall,
so is a person who cannot control his temper.[bh]
Exhortations to Seek the Things Above
3 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (who is your[a] life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth:[b] sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion,[c] evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.[d] 7 You also lived your lives[e] in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. 8 But now, put off all such things[f] as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 10 and have been clothed with the new man[g] that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. 11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave[h] or free, but Christ is all and in all.
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