A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,
winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.
With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
. . .
Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.
Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”—when you already have the means.
Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he trustfully dwells beside you.
Do not accuse a man without cause, when he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;
. . .
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
. . .
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,
to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.
Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.
. . .
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her.
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks the mockers, but gives grace to the humble.
The wise will inherit honor, but fools are held up to shame.
A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from the God of his salvation.
. . .
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life.
Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
. . .
When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.
Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
. . .
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
. . .
My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment.
They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet.
Do not fear sudden danger or the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
. . .
I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone—
for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.
This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
. . .
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.
If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife,
and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies,
then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.
. . .
Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
All her ways are pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful.
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—
the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh,
and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
. . .
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”
Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.
Consider how great Melchizedek was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder.
Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham.
. . .
My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,
if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,
then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
. . .
“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
. . .
It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words
who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.
For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.
None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.
So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.
. . .
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!
For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide in times of trouble?
In pride the wicked pursue the needy; let them be caught in the schemes they devise.
For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.
He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes.
. . .
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.
What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
. . .
The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding.
By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open, and the clouds dripped with dew.
Of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced.
Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.
Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You.
. . .
Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’
So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.
He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.
. . .
My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,
if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,
then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke;
for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
. . .
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,
if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.
Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?
Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”
But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let the people go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
God also told Moses, “I am the LORD.
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.
. . .
Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown,
and said, “My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house.
They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!”
. . .
Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,
the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
. . .
This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.” So that is what the soldiers did.
And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
. . .
After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Meanwhile John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent his disciples
to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
. . .
As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.
And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.
“Lord,” they answered, “let our eyes be opened.”
. . .
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil.
But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps.
When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
. . .
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words
who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.
For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.
None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
. . .
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,
it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
. . .
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
. . .
At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who affirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,
. . .
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
. . .
but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, suddenly two men in radiant apparel stood beside them.
As the women bowed their faces to the ground in terror, the two men asked them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee:
And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’
So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
. . .
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him,
and He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
. . .
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your salvation!
You have granted his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked You for life, and You granted it—length of days, forever and ever.
Great is his glory in Your salvation; You bestow on him splendor and majesty.
. . .
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,
who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven Spirits before His throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood,
. . .
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”