Matthew 7; Exodus 37; Exodus 38; Proverbs 17

Matthew 7

1 "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged.

2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but don't notice the log in your own eye?

4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and look, there's a log in your eye?

5 Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

6 Don't give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

7 "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them-this is the Law and the Prophets.

13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.

14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

15 "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.

16 You'll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.

18 A good tree can't produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.

19 Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 So you'll recognize them by their fruit.

21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but [only] the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?'

23 Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers! '

24 "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock.

25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn't collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.

26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn't act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!"

28 When Jesus had finished this sermon, the crowds were astonished at His teaching,

29 because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Exodus 37

1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.

2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and out and made a gold molding all around it.

3 He cast four gold rings for it to be on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side.

4 He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

5 He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark for carrying the ark.

6 He made a mercy seat of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.

7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat,

8 one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim [of one piece] with the mercy seat, [a cherub] at each end.

9 They had wings spread out, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing each other. The faces of the cherubim were looking toward the mercy seat.

10 He constructed the table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.

11 He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it.

12 He made a three-inch frame all around it and made a gold molding all around its frame.

13 He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings to the four corners at its four legs.

14 The rings were next to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table.

15 He made the poles for carrying the table from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

16 He also made the utensils that would be on the table out of pure gold: its plates and cups, as well as its bowls and pitchers for pouring drink offerings.

17 Then he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold. He made it [all] of one piece: its base and shaft, its [ornamental] cups, and its calyxes and petals.

18 Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side.

19 There were three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the next branch. It was this way for the six branches that extended from the lampstand.

20 On the lampstand shaft there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms with its calyxes and petals.

21 For the six branches that extended from it, a calyx was under the first pair of branches from it, a calyx under the second pair of branches from it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches from it.

22 Their calyxes and branches were of one piece. All of it was a single hammered piece of pure gold.

23 He also made its seven lamps, snuffers, and firepans of pure gold.

24 He made it and all its utensils of 75 pounds of pure gold.

25 He made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide; it was 36 inches high. Its horns were of one piece.

26 He overlaid it, its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold. Then he made a gold molding all around it.

27 He made two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; [he put these] on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with.

28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant, and expertly blended incense.

Exodus 38

1 Bezalel constructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet wide, and was four and a half feet high.

2 He made horns for it on its four corners; the horns were of one piece. Then he overlaid it with bronze.

3 He made all the altar's utensils: the pots, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze.

4 He constructed for the altar a grate of bronze mesh under its ledge, halfway up from the bottom.

5 At the four corners of the bronze grate he cast four rings as holders for the poles.

6 He also made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

7 Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar in order to carry it with them. He constructed the altar with boards so that it was hollow.

8 He made the bronze basin and its stand from the [bronze] mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

9 Then he made the courtyard. The hangings on the south side of the courtyard were of finely spun linen, 150 feet in length,

10 including their 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands of the posts were silver.

11 [The hangings] on the north side were also 150 feet in length, including their 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands of the posts were silver.

12 The hangings on the west side were 75 feet in length, including their 10 posts and 10 bases. The hooks and bands of the posts were silver.

13 [The hangings] on the east toward the sunrise were also 75 feet in length.

14 The hangings on one side [of the gate] were 22 and a half feet, including their three posts and three bases.

15 It was the same for the other side. The hangings were 22 and a half feet, including their three posts and three bases on both sides of the courtyard gate.

16 All the hangings around the courtyard were of finely spun linen.

17 The bases for the posts were bronze; the hooks and bands of the posts were silver; and the plating for the tops of the posts was silver. All the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver.

18 The screen for the gate of the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It was 30 feet long, and like the hangings of the courtyard, seven and a half feet high.

19 It had four posts, including their four bronze bases. Their hooks were silver, and the bands as well as the plating of their tops were silver.

20 All the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

21 This is the inventory for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, that was recorded at Moses' command. It was the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

22 Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord commanded Moses.

23 With him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a gem cutter, a designer, and an embroiderer with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

24 All the gold of the presentation offering that was used for the project in all the work on the sanctuary, was 2,193 pounds, according to the sanctuary shekel.

25 The silver from those of the community who were registered was 7,544 pounds, according to the sanctuary shekel-

26 two-fifths of an ounce per man, that is, half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone 20 years old or more who had crossed over to the registered group, 603,550 men.

27 There were 7,500 pounds of silver [used] to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil-100 bases from 7,500 pounds, 75 pounds for each base.

28 With the [remaining] 44 pounds he made the hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and supplied bands for them.

29 The bronze of the presentation offering totaled 5,310 pounds.

30 He made with it the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and its bronze grate, all the utensils for the altar,

31 the bases for the surrounding courtyard, the bases for the gate of the courtyard, all the tent pegs for the tabernacle, and all the tent pegs for the surrounding courtyard.

Proverbs 17

1 Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife.

2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share an inheritance among brothers.

3 A crucible is for silver and a smelter for gold, but the Lord is a tester of hearts.

4 A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

5 The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, and one who rejoices over disaster will not go unpunished.

6 Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers.

7 Excessive speech is not appropriate on a fool's lips; how much worse are lies for a ruler.

8 A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends.

10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12 Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his foolishness.

13 If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never depart from his house.

14 To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out.

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

16 Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.

18 One without sense enters an agreement and puts up security for his friend.

19 One who loves to offend loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

20 One with a twisted mind will not succeed, and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.

21 A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy.

22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

23 A wicked man secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice.

24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool's eyes roam to the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.

26 It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person, or to beat a noble for his honesty.

27 The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding.

28 Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning, when he seals his lips.