Proverbs concerning Life and Conduct

16¹ We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.

² People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.

³ Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

⁴ The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.

⁵ The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished.

⁶ Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.

⁷ When people's lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them.

⁸ Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.

⁹ We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

¹⁰ The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly.

¹¹ The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.

¹² A king detests wrongdoing, for his rule is built on justice.

¹³ The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly.

¹⁴ The anger of the king is a deadly threat; the wise will try to appease it. ¹⁵ When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a spring rain.

¹⁶ How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!

¹⁷ The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

¹⁹ Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰ Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

²¹ The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.

²² Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools.

²³ From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.

²⁴ Kind words are like honey- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

²⁵ There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

²⁶ It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.

²⁷ Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze. ²⁸ A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.

²⁹ Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path. ³⁰ With narrowed eyes, people plot evil; with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

³¹ Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.

³² Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

³³ We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.

17¹ Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting-and conflict.

² A wise servant will rule over the master's disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master's children.

³ Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

⁴ Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander.

⁵ Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.

⁶ Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.

⁷ Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.

⁸ A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper!

⁹ Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

¹⁰ A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

¹¹ Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished.

¹² It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.

¹³ If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house.

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out.

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent- both are detestable to the Lord .

¹⁶ It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning.

¹⁷ A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.

¹⁸ It's poor judgment to guarantee another person's debt or put up security for a friend.

¹⁹ Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.

²⁰ The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble.

²¹ It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.

²³ The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course of justice.

²⁴ Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.

²⁶ It is wrong to punish the godly for being good or to flog leaders for being honest.

²⁷ A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. ²⁸ Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

18¹ Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense.

² Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.

³ Doing wrong leads to disgrace, and scandalous behavior brings contempt.

⁴ Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.

⁵ It is not right to acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent.

⁶ Fools' words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. ⁷ The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.

⁸ Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one's heart.

⁹ A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.

¹¹ The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.

¹² Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.

¹³ Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

¹⁴ The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?

¹⁵ Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.

¹⁶ Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people!

¹⁷ The first to speak in court sounds right- until the cross-examination begins.

¹⁸ Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful opponents.

¹⁹ An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.

²⁰ Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction.

²¹ The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

²² The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord .

²³ The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults.

²⁴ There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

6¹ As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. ² For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation. ³ We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. ⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. ⁵ We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. ⁶ We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. ⁷ We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ⁸ We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. ⁹ We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. ¹⁰ Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

¹¹ Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. ¹² There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. ¹³ I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!

Ye Are the Temple of the Living God

¹⁴ Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil ? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ¹⁷ Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord . Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. ¹⁸ And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. "