Proverbs 19; Proverbs 20; Proverbs 21; 2 Corinthians 7

1 Better to be a poor person who lives innocently than to be one who talks dishonestly and is a fool.

2 A person without knowledge is no good. A person in a hurry makes mistakes.

3 The stupidity of a person turns his life upside down, and his heart rages against the LORD.

4 Wealth adds many friends, but a poor person is separated from his friend.

5 A lying witness will not go unpunished. One who tells lies will not escape.

6 Many try to win the kindness of a generous person, and everyone is a friend to a person who gives gifts.

7 The entire family of a poor person hates him. How much more do his friends keep their distance from him! When he chases them with words, they are gone.

8 A person who gains sense loves himself. One who guards understanding finds something good.

9 A lying witness will not go unpunished. One who tells lies will die.

10 Luxury does not fit a fool, much less a slave ruling princes.

11 A person with good sense is patient, and it is to his credit that he overlooks an offense.

12 The rage of a king is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A foolish son ruins his father, and a quarreling woman is like constantly dripping water.

14 Home and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a sensible wife comes from the LORD.

15 Laziness throws one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will go hungry.

16 Whoever obeys the law preserves his life, [but] whoever despises the LORD's ways will be put to death.

17 Whoever has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his good deed.

18 Discipline your son while there is still hope. Do not be the one responsible for his death.

19 A person who has a hot temper will pay for it. If you rescue him, you will have to do it over and over.

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline so that you may be wise the rest of your life.

21 Many plans are in the human heart, but the advice of the LORD will endure.

22 Loyalty is desirable in a person, and it is better to be poor than a liar.

23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and such a person will rest easy without suffering harm.

24 A lazy person puts his fork in his food. He doesn't even bring it back to his mouth.

25 Strike a mocker, and a gullible person may learn a lesson. Warn an understanding person, and he will gain more knowledge.

26 A son who assaults his father [and] who drives away his mother brings shame and disgrace.

27 If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocks justice, and the mouths of wicked people swallow up trouble.

29 Punishments are set for mockers and beatings for the backs of fools.

1 Wine [makes people] mock, liquor [makes them] noisy, and everyone under their influence is unwise.

2 The rage of a king is like the roar of a lion. Whoever makes him angry forfeits his life.

3 Avoiding a quarrel is honorable. After all, any stubborn fool can start a fight.

4 A lazy person does not plow in the fall. He looks for something in the harvest but finds nothing.

5 A motive in the human heart is like deep water, and a person who has understanding draws it out.

6 Many people declare themselves loyal, but who can find someone who is [really] trustworthy?

7 A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone.

8 A king who sits on his throne to judge sifts out every evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, "I've made my heart pure. I'm cleansed from my sin"?

10 A double standard of weights and measures-- both are disgusting to the LORD.

11 Even a child makes himself known by his actions, whether his deeds are pure or right.

12 The ear that hears, the eye that sees-- the LORD made them both.

13 Do not love sleep or you will end up poor. Keep your eyes open, and you will have plenty to eat.

14 "Bad! Bad!" says the buyer. Then, as he goes away, he brags [about his bargain].

15 There are gold and plenty of jewels, but the lips of knowledge are precious gems.

16 Hold on to the garment of one who guarantees a stranger's loan, and hold responsible the person who makes a loan on behalf of a foreigner.

17 Food gained dishonestly tastes sweet to a person, but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18 Plans are confirmed by getting advice, and with guidance one wages war.

19 Whoever goes around as a gossip tells secrets. Do not associate with a person whose mouth is always open.

20 The lamp of the person who curses his father and mother will be snuffed out in total darkness.

21 An inheritance quickly obtained in the beginning will never be blessed in the end.

22 Do not say, "I'll get even with you!" Wait for the LORD, and he will save you.

23 A double standard of weights is disgusting to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.

24 The LORD is the one who directs a person's steps. How then can anyone understand his own way?

25 It is a trap for a person to say impulsively, "This is a holy offering!" and later to have second thoughts about those vows.

26 A wise king scatters the wicked and then runs them over.

27 A person's soul is the LORD's lamp. It searches his entire innermost being.

28 Mercy and truth protect a king, and with mercy he maintains his throne.

29 While the glory of young men is their strength, the splendor of older people is their silver hair.

30 Brutal beatings cleanse away wickedness. Such beatings cleanse the innermost being.

1 The king's heart is like streams of water. Both are under the LORD's control. He turns them in any direction he chooses.

2 A person thinks everything he does is right, but the LORD weighs hearts.

3 Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to the LORD than offering a sacrifice.

4 A conceited look and an arrogant attitude, which are the lamps of wicked people, are sins.

5 The plans of a hard-working person lead to prosperity, but everyone who is [always] in a hurry ends up in poverty.

6 Those who gather wealth by lying are wasting time. They are looking for death.

7 The violence of wicked people will drag them away since they refuse to do what is just.

8 The way of a guilty person is crooked, but the behavior of those who are pure is moral.

9 Better to live on a corner of a roof than to share a home with a quarreling woman.

10 The mind of a wicked person desires evil and has no consideration for his neighbor.

11 When a mocker is punished, a gullible person becomes wise, and when a wise person is instructed, he gains knowledge.

12 A righteous person wisely considers the house of a wicked person. He throws wicked people into disasters.

13 Whoever shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will call and not be answered.

14 A gift [given] in secret calms anger, and a secret bribe calms great fury.

15 When justice is done, a righteous person is delighted, but troublemakers are terrified.

16 A person who wanders from the way of wise behavior will rest in the assembly of the dead.

17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor. Whoever loves wine and expensive food will not become rich.

18 Wicked people become a ransom for righteous people, and treacherous people will take the place of decent people.

19 Better to live in a desert than with a quarreling and angry woman.

20 Costly treasure and wealth are in the home of a wise person, but a fool devours them.

21 Whoever pursues righteousness and mercy will find life, righteousness, and honor.

22 A wise man attacks a city of warriors and pulls down the strong defenses in which they trust.

23 Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

24 An arrogant, conceited person is called a mocker. His arrogance knows no limits.

25 The desire of a lazy person will kill him because his hands refuse to work.

26 All day long he feels greedy, but a righteous person gives and does not hold back.

27 The sacrifice of wicked people is disgusting, especially if they bring it with evil intent.

28 A lying witness will die, but a person who listens to advice will continue to speak.

29 A wicked person puts up a bold front, but a decent person's way of life is his own security.

30 No wisdom, no understanding, and no advice [can stand up] against the LORD.

31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.

1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.

2 Open your hearts to us. We haven't treated anyone unjustly, ruined anyone, or cheated anyone.

3 I'm not saying this to condemn you. I've already told you that you are in our hearts so that we will live and die together.

4 I have great confidence in you, and I have a lot of reasons to be proud of you. Even as we suffer, I'm encouraged and feel very happy.

5 Ever since we arrived in the province of Macedonia, we've had no rest. Instead, we suffer in a number of ways. Outwardly we have conflicts, and inwardly we have fears.

6 Yet God, who comforts those who are dejected, comforted us when Titus arrived.

7 We were comforted not only by his arrival but also by learning about the comfort he had received while he was with you. He told us how you wanted to see me, how sorry you are for what you've done, and how concerned you are about me. This made me even happier.

8 If my letter made you uncomfortable, I'm not sorry. But since my letter did make you uncomfortable for a while, I was sorry.

9 But I'm happy now, not because I made you uncomfortable, but because the distress I caused you has led you to change the way you think and act. You were distressed in a godly way, so we haven't done you any harm.

10 In fact, to be distressed in a godly way causes people to change the way they think and act and leads them to be saved. No one can regret that. But the distress that the world causes brings only death.

11 When you became distressed in a godly way, look at how much devotion it caused you to have. You were ready to clear yourselves of the charges against you. You were disgusted with the wrong that had been done. You were afraid. You wanted to see us. You wanted to show your concern for us. You were ready to punish the wrong that had been done. In every way you have demonstrated that you are people who are innocent in this matter.

12 So, when I wrote to you, I didn't write because of the man who did the wrong or the man who was hurt by it. Rather, I wrote because I wanted you to show your devotion to us in God's sight.

13 This is what has comforted us. In addition to being comforted, we were especially pleased to see how happy Titus was. All of you had put his mind at ease.

14 I didn't have to be ashamed of anything I had said to him when I bragged about you. Since everything we told you was true, our bragging to Titus has also proved to be true.

15 His deepest feelings go out to you even more as he remembers how obedient all of you were, and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

16 I'm pleased that I can be confident about you in every way.