Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
12 Jerusalem, ·praise [celebrate] the Lord;
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple], praise your God.
13 He ·makes your city gates strong [L strengthens the bars of your gates]
and blesses your children ·inside [L within you].
14 He ·brings [sets] peace to your ·country [L boundaries]
and ·fills [satisfies; satiates] you with the finest ·grain [wheat].
15 He ·gives a command [L sends forth his word] to the earth,
and ·it quickly obeys him [L his word quickly runs].
16 He ·spreads [L gives] the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He throws down hail like ·rocks [L morsels; bits; pieces].
No one can stand ·the cold he sends [L before his cold].
18 Then he ·gives a command [L sends forth his word], and it melts.
He sends the breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He ·gave [announced] his word to Jacob [C another name for Israel],
his laws [statutes; requirements; ordinances] and ·demands [judgments] to Israel [Ex. 19–24].
20 He didn’t do this for ·any other [L all the] nation.
They don’t know his ·laws [judgments].
Praise the Lord!
The Importance of Proverbs
1 These are the ·wise words [proverbs] of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.
2 They teach wisdom and ·self-control [discipline; instruction];
they will help you understand ·wise words [insightful sayings].
3 They will teach you how to be ·wise [insightful] and ·self-controlled [disciplined]
and will teach you to do what is ·honest [righteous] and ·fair [just] and ·right [virtuous].
4 They make the ·uneducated [simpleminded; immature; naive] ·wise [prudent]
and give knowledge and ·sense [discretion] to the young.
5 Wise people can also listen and ·learn [add/increase teaching];
even ·they [L those with understanding] can find good ·advice in these words [guidance].
6 Then ·anyone [L they] can understand ·wise words [proverbs] and ·stories [or difficult sayings],
the words of the wise and their ·riddles [difficulties].
7 Knowledge begins with ·respect [fear; awe] for the Lord,
but fools ·hate [despise] wisdom and ·discipline [self-control; instruction].
True Wisdom
13 Are there those among you who are truly wise and ·understanding [insightful; discerning]? Then they should show it by ·living right [their good life/conduct/lifestyle] and ·doing good things [their deeds/works] with a ·gentleness [humility; meekness; Matt. 5:5; 11:29; Gal. 6:1] that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter ·jealousy [or envy] and ·are selfish [have selfish ambition] in your hearts, do not ·brag [boast; Jer. 9:23–24]. Your ·bragging [boasting] is a lie ·that hides [that denies; L against] the truth [or Don’t cover up the truth with bragging or lying]. 15 That kind of “wisdom” does not come ·from God [L down from above; C that is, from heaven] but ·from the world [is earthly]. It is ·not spiritual [natural; “soulish”; C human life apart from God; 1 Cor. 2:14]; it is ·from the devil [demonic]. 16 Where ·jealousy [or envy] and ·selfishness [selfish ambition] are, there will be ·confusion [chaos; disorder] and every ·kind of evil [evil thing/practice]. 17 But the wisdom that comes from ·God [L above; 3:15] is first of all pure, then peaceful [peace-loving], gentle [patient; considerate], and ·easy to please [or willing to yield; or open to reason]. This wisdom is ·always ready to help those who are troubled and to do good for others [L full of mercy and good fruits]. It is ·always fair [impartial] and ·honest [sincere; unhypocritical]. 18 ·People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant a good crop of right living [or Peacemakers who sow with peace will harvest a crop of justice/righteousness; Gal. 5:22–23].
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