Proverbs 22; Proverbs 23; Proverbs 24; 2 Corinthians 8

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Proverbs 22

1 A good name is more desirable than great wealth. Respect is better than silver or gold.

2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD is the maker of them all.

3 Sensible people foresee trouble and hide [from it], but gullible people go ahead and suffer [the consequence].

4 On the heels of humility (the fear of the LORD) are riches and honor and life.

5 A devious person has thorns and traps ahead of him. Whoever guards himself will stay far away from them.

6 Train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn away from it.

7 A rich person rules poor people, and a borrower is a slave to a lender.

8 Whoever plants injustice will harvest trouble, and this weapon of his own fury will be destroyed.

9 Whoever is generous will be blessed because he has shared his food with the poor.

10 Drive out a mocker, and conflict will leave. Quarreling and abuse will stop.

11 Whoever loves a pure heart and whoever speaks graciously has a king as his friend.

12 The LORD's eyes watch over knowledge, but he overturns the words of a treacherous person.

13 A lazy person says, "There's a lion outside! I'll be murdered in the streets!"

14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit. The one who is cursed by the LORD will fall into it.

15 Foolishness is firmly attached to a child's heart. Spanking will remove it far from him.

16 Oppressing the poor for profit [or] giving to the rich certainly leads to poverty.

17 Open your ears, and hear the words of wise people, and set your mind on the knowledge I give you.

18 It is pleasant if you keep them in mind [so that] they will be on the tip of your tongue,

19 so that your trust may be in the LORD. Today I have made them known to you, especially to you.

20 Didn't I write to you previously with advice and knowledge

21 in order to teach you the words of truth so that you can give an accurate report to those who send you?

22 Do not rob the poor because they are poor or trample on the rights of an oppressed person at the city gate,

23 because the LORD will plead their case and will take the lives of those who rob them.

24 Do not be a friend of one who has a bad temper, and never keep company with a hothead,

25 or you will learn his ways and set a trap for yourself.

26 Do not be [found] among those who make deals with a handshake, among those who guarantee other people's loans.

27 If you have no money to pay back a loan, why should your bed be repossessed?

28 Do not move an ancient boundary marker that your ancestors set in place.

29 Do you see a person who is efficient in his work? He will serve kings. He will not serve unknown people.

Proverbs 23

1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, pay close attention to what is in front of you,

2 and put a knife to your throat if you have a big appetite.

3 Do not crave his delicacies, because this is food that deceives you.

4 Do not wear yourself out getting rich. Be smart enough to stop.

5 Will you catch only a fleeting glimpse of wealth before it is gone? It makes wings for itself like an eagle flying into the sky.

6 Do not eat the food of one who is stingy, and do not crave his delicacies.

7 As he calculates the cost to himself, this is what he does: He tells you, "Eat and drink," but he doesn't really mean it.

8 You will vomit the little bit you have eaten and spoil your pleasant conversation.

9 Do not talk directly to a fool, because he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10 Do not move an ancient boundary marker or enter fields that belong to orphans,

11 because the one who is responsible for them is strong. He will plead their case against you.

12 Live a more disciplined life, and listen carefully to words of knowledge.

13 Do not hesitate to discipline a child. If you spank him, he will not die.

14 Spank him yourself, and you will save his soul from hell.

15 My son, if you have a wise heart, my heart will rejoice as well.

16 My heart rejoices when you speak what is right.

17 Do not envy sinners in your heart. Instead, continue to fear the LORD.

18 There is indeed a future, and your hope will never be cut off.

19 My son, listen, be wise, and keep your mind going in the right direction.

20 Do not associate with those who drink too much wine, with those who eat too much meat,

21 because both a drunk and a glutton will become poor. Drowsiness will dress a person in rags.

22 Listen to your father since you are his son, and do not despise your mother because she is old.

23 Buy truth (and do not sell it), [that is,] buy wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

24 A righteous person's father will certainly rejoice. Someone who has a wise son will enjoy him.

25 May your father and your mother be glad. May she who gave birth to you rejoice.

26 My son, give me your heart. Let your eyes find happiness in my ways.

27 A prostitute is a deep pit. A loose woman is a narrow well.

28 She is like a robber, lying in ambush. She spreads unfaithfulness throughout society.

29 Who has trouble? Who has misery? Who has quarrels? Who has a complaint? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?

30 Those who drink glass after glass of wine and mix it with everything.

31 Do not look at wine because it is red, because it sparkles in the cup, because it goes down smoothly.

32 Later it bites like a snake and strikes like a poisonous snake.

33 Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mouth will say embarrassing things.

34 You will be like someone lying down in the middle of the sea or like someone lying down on top of a ship's mast, saying,

35 "They strike me, but I feel no pain. They beat me, but I'm not aware of it. Whenever I wake up, I'm going to look for another drink."

Proverbs 24

1 Do not envy evil people or wish you were with them,

2 because their minds plot violence, and their lips talk trouble.

3 With wisdom a house is built. With understanding it is established.

4 With knowledge its rooms are filled with every kind of riches, both precious and pleasant.

5 A strong man knows how to use his strength, but a person with knowledge is even more powerful.

6 After all, with the right strategy you can wage war, and with many advisers there is victory.

7 Matters of wisdom are beyond the grasp of a stubborn fool. At the city gate he does not open his mouth.

8 Whoever plans to do evil will be known as a schemer.

9 Foolish scheming is sinful, and a mocker is disgusting to everyone.

10 If you faint in a crisis, you are weak.

11 Rescue captives condemned to death, and spare those staggering toward their slaughter.

12 When you say, "We didn't know this," won't the one who weighs hearts take note of it? Won't the one who guards your soul know it? Won't he pay back people for what they do?

13 Eat honey, my son, because it is good. Honey that flows from the honeycomb tastes sweet.

14 The knowledge of wisdom is like that for your soul. If you find it, then there is a future, and your hope will never be cut off.

15 You wicked one, do not lie in ambush at the home of a righteous person. Do not rob his house.

16 A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again. However, in a disaster wicked people fall.

17 Do not be happy when your enemy falls, and do not feel glad when he stumbles.

18 The LORD will see it, he won't like it, and he will turn his anger away from that person.

19 Do not get overly upset with evildoers. Do not envy wicked people,

20 because an evil person has no future, and the lamps of wicked people will be snuffed out.

21 Fear the LORD, my son. Fear the king as well. Do not associate with those who always insist upon change,

22 because disaster will come to them suddenly. Who knows what misery both may bring?

23 These also are the sayings of wise people: Showing partiality as a judge is not good.

24 Whoever says to a guilty person, "You are innocent," will be cursed by people and condemned by nations.

25 But people will be pleased with those who convict a guilty person, and a great blessing will come to them.

26 Giving a straight answer is [like] a kiss on the lips.

27 Prepare your work outside, and get things ready for yourself in the field. Afterwards, build your house.

28 Do not testify against your neighbor without a reason, and do not deceive with your lips.

29 Do not say, "I'll treat him as he treated me. I'll pay him back for what he has done to me."

30 I passed by a lazy person's field, the vineyard belonging to a person without sense.

31 I saw that it was all overgrown with thistles. The ground was covered with weeds, and its stone fence was torn down.

32 When I observed [this], I took it to heart. I saw it and learned my lesson.

33 "Just a little sleep, just a little slumber, just a little nap."

34 Then your poverty will come like a drifter, and your need will come like a bandit.

2 Corinthians 8

1 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know how God showed his kindness to the churches in the province of Macedonia.

2 While they were being severely tested by suffering, their overflowing joy, along with their extreme poverty, has made them even more generous.

3 I assure you that by their own free will they have given all they could, even more than they could afford.

4 They made an appeal to us, begging us to let them participate in the ministry of God's kindness to his holy people [in Jerusalem].

5 They did more than we had expected. First, they gave themselves to the Lord and to us, since this was God's will.

6 This led us to urge Titus to finish his work of God's kindness among you in the same way as he had already started it.

7 Indeed, the more your faith, your ability to speak, your knowledge, your dedication, and your love for us increase, the more we want you to participate in this work of God's kindness.

8 I'm not commanding you, but I'm testing how genuine your love is by pointing out the dedication of others.

9 You know about the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor in order to make you rich through his poverty.

10 I'm giving you my opinion because it will be helpful to you. Last year you were not only willing [to take a collection] but had already started to do it.

11 So finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish

12 with whatever contributions you have. Since you are willing to do this, [remember] that people are accepted if they give what they are able to give. God doesn't ask for what they don't have.

13 I don't mean that others should have relief while you have hardship. Rather, it's a matter of striking a balance.

14 At the present time, your surplus fills their need so that their surplus may fill your need. In this way things balance out.

15 This is what Scripture says: "Those who had gathered a lot didn't have too much, and those who gathered a little didn't have too little."

16 I thank God for making Titus as dedicated to you as I am.

17 He accepted my request and eagerly went to visit you by his own free will.

18 With him we have sent our Christian brother whom all the churches praise for the way he tells the Good News.

19 More than that, the churches elected him to travel with us and bring this gift of God's kindness. We are administering it in a way that brings glory to the Lord and shows that we are doing it willingly.

20 We don't want anyone to find fault with the way we are administering this generous gift.

21 We intend to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of people.

22 We have also sent with them our Christian brother whom we have often tested in many ways and found to be a dedicated worker. We find that he is much more dedicated now than ever because he has so much confidence in you.

23 If any questions are raised, remember that Titus is my partner and coworker to help you. The other men are representatives of the churches and bring glory to Christ.

24 So give these men a demonstration of your love. Show their congregations that we were right to be proud of you.