Proverbs 29Proverbs 30Proverbs 31Ephesians 4.17->Ephesians 5.1-2Proverbs 29
1
A man hating sharp words and making his heart hard, will suddenly be broken and will not be made well again.
2
When the upright have power, the people are glad when an evil man is ruler, grief comes on the people.
3
A man who is a lover of wisdom is a joy to his father: but he who goes in the company of loose women is a waster of wealth.
4
A king, by right rule, makes the land safe but one full of desires makes it a waste.
5
A man who says smooth things to his neighbour is stretching out a net for his steps.
6
In the steps of an evil man there is a net for him, but the upright man gets away quickly and is glad.
7
The upright man gives attention to the cause of the poor: the evil-doer gives no thought to it.
8
Men of pride are the cause of violent acts in a town, but by wise men wrath is turned away.
9
If a wise man goes to law with a foolish man, he may be angry or laughing, but there will be no rest.
10
Men of blood are haters of the good man, and evil-doers go after his soul.
11
A foolish man lets out all his wrath, but a wise man keeps it back quietly.
12
If a ruler gives attention to false words, all his servants are evil-doers.
13
The poor man and his creditor come face to face: the Lord gives light to their eyes equally.
14
The king who is a true judge in the cause of the poor, will be safe for ever on the seat of his power.
15
The rod and sharp words give wisdom: but a child who is not guided is a cause of shame to his mother.
16
When evil men are in power, wrongdoing is increased but the upright will have pleasure when they see their downfall.
17
Give your son training, and he will give you rest he will give delight to your soul.
18
Where there is no vision, the people are uncontrolled but he who keeps the law will be happy.
19
A servant will not be trained by words for though the sense of the words is clear to him, he will not give attention.
20
Have you seen a man who is quick with his tongue? There is more hope for a foolish man than for him.
21
If a servant is gently cared for from his early years, he will become a cause of sorrow in the end.
22
An angry man is the cause of fighting, and a man given to wrath does much wrong.
23
A man's pride will be the cause of his fall, but he who has a gentle spirit will get honour.
24
A man who takes part with a thief has hate for his soul he is put under oath, but says nothing.
25
The fear of man is a cause of danger: but whoever puts his faith in the Lord will have a safe place on high.
26
The approval of a ruler is desired by great numbers: but the decision in a man's cause comes from the Lord.
27
An evil man is disgusting to the upright, and he who is upright is disgusting to evil-doers.
Proverbs 30
1
The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness O God, I have come to an end:
2
For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
3
I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
5
Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
6
Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.
7
I have made request to you for two things do not keep them from me before my death:
8
Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:
9
For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.
10
Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
11
There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
12
There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
13
There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
14
There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men.
15
The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
16
The underworld, and the woman without a child the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough.
17
The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.
18
There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
19
The way of an eagle in the air the way of a snake on a rock the way of a ship in the heart of the sea and the way of a man with a girl.
20
This is the way of a false wife she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
21
For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
22
A servant when he becomes a king a man without sense when his wealth is increased
23
A hated woman when she is married and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
24
There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
25
The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer
26
The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks
27
The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands
28
You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
29
There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
30
The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any
31
The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
32
If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
33
The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.
Proverbs 31
1
The words of Lemuel, king of Massa: the teaching which he had from his mother.
2
What am I to say to you, O Lemuel, my oldest son? and what, O son of my body? and what, O son of my oaths?
3
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which is the destruction of kings.
4
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to take wine, or for rulers to say, Where is strong drink?
5
For fear that through drinking they may come to have no respect for the law, wrongly judging the cause of those who are in trouble.
6
Give strong drink to him who is near to destruction, and wine to him whose soul is bitter:
7
Let him have drink, and his need will go from his mind, and the memory of his trouble will be gone.
8
Let your mouth be open for those who have no voice, in the cause of those who are ready for death.
9
Let your mouth be open, judging rightly, and give right decisions in the cause of the poor and those in need.
10
Who may make discovery of a woman of virtue? For her price is much higher than jewels.
11
The heart of her husband has faith in her, and he will have profit in full measure.
12
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13
She gets wool and linen, working at the business of her hands.
14
She is like the trading-ships, getting food from far away.
15
She gets up while it is still night, and gives meat to her family, and their food to her servant-girls.
16
After looking at a field with care, she gets it for a price, planting a vine-garden with the profit of her work.
17
She puts a band of strength round her, and makes her arms strong.
18
She sees that her marketing is of profit to her: her light does not go out by night.
19
She puts her hands to the cloth-working rod, and her fingers take the wheel.
20
Her hands are stretched out to the poor yes, she is open-handed to those who are in need.
21
She has no fear of the snow for her family, for all those in her house are clothed in red.
22
She makes for herself cushions of needlework her clothing is fair linen and purple.
23
Her husband is a man of note in the public place, when he takes his seat among the responsible men of the land.
24
She makes linen robes and gets a price for them, and traders take her cloth bands for a price.
25
Strength and self-respect are her clothing she is facing the future with a smile.
26
Her mouth is open to give out wisdom, and the law of mercy is on her tongue.
27
She gives attention to the ways of her family, she does not take her food without working for it.
28
Her children get up and give her honour, and her husband gives her praise, saying,
29
Unnumbered women have done well, but you are better than all of them.
30
Fair looks are a deceit, and a beautiful form is of no value but a woman who has the fear of the Lord is to be praised.
31
Give her credit for what her hands have made: let her be praised by her works in the public place.
Ephesians 4
17->
17
This I say, then, and give witness in the Lord, that you are to go no longer in the way of the Gentiles whose minds are turned to that which has no profit,
18
Whose thoughts are dark, to whom the life of God is strange because they are without knowledge, and their hearts have been made hard
19
Who having no more power of feeling, have given themselves up to evil passions, to do all unclean things with overmuch desire.
20
For this was not the teaching of Christ which was given to you
21
If in fact you gave ear to him, and were given teaching in him, even as what is true is made clear in Jesus:
22
That you are to put away, in relation to your earlier way of life, the old man, which has become evil by love of deceit
23
And be made new in the spirit of your mind,
24
And put on the new man, to which God has given life, in righteousness and a true and holy way of living.
25
And so, putting away false words, let everyone say what is true to his neighbour: for we are parts one of another.
26
Be angry without doing wrong let not the sun go down on your wrath
27
And do not give way to the Evil One.
28
Let him who was a thief be so no longer, but let him do good work with his hands, so that he may have something to give to him who is in need.
29
Let no evil talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for giving necessary teaching, and for grace to those who give ear.
30
And do not give grief to the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were marked for the day of salvation.
31
Let all bitter, sharp and angry feeling, and noise, and evil words, be put away from you, with all unkind acts
32
And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.
Ephesians 5
1-2
1
Let it then be your desire to be like God, as well-loved children
2
And be living in love, even as Christ had love for you, and gave himself up for us, an offering to God for a perfume of a sweet smell.
