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

1 It is better to be poor and honest than to be foolish and tell lies.

2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good. If you act too quickly, you might make a mistake.

3 People's own foolishness ruins their lives, but in their minds they blame the Lord.

4 Wealthy people are always finding more friends, but the poor lose all theirs.

5 A witness who lies will not go free; liars will never escape.

6 Many people want to please a leader, and everyone is friends with those who give gifts.

7 Poor people's relatives avoid them; even their friends stay far away. They run after them, begging, but they are gone.

8 Those who get wisdom do themselves a favor, and those who love learning will succeed.

9 A witness who lies will not go free, liars will die.

10 A fool should not live in luxury. A slave should not rule over princes.

11 Smart people are patient; they will be honored if they ignore insults.

12 An angry king is like a roaring lion, but his kindness is like the dew on the grass.

13 A foolish son will ruin his father, and a quarreling wife is like dripping water.

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a wise wife is a gift from the Lord.

15 Lazy people sleep a lot, and idle people will go hungry.

16 Those who obey the commands protect themselves, but those who are careless will die.

17 Being kind to the poor is like lending to the Lord; he will reward you for what you have done.

18 Correct your children while there is still hope; do not let them destroy themselves.

19 People with quick tempers will have to pay for it. If you help them out once, you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept correction, and in the end you will be wise.

21 People can make all kinds of plans, but only the Lord's plan will happen.

22 People want others to be loyal, so it is better to be poor than to be a liar.

23 Those who respect the Lord will live and be satisfied, unbothered by trouble.

24 Though the lazy person puts his hand in the dish, he won't lift the food to his mouth.

25 Whip those who make fun of wisdom, and perhaps foolish people will gain some wisdom. Correct those with understanding, and they will gain knowledge.

26 A son who robs his father and sends away his mother brings shame and disgrace on himself.

27 Don't stop listening to correction, my child, or you will forget what you have already learned.

28 An evil witness makes fun of fairness, and wicked people love what is evil.

29 People who make fun of wisdom will be punished, and the backs of foolish people will be beaten.

1 Wine and beer make people loud and uncontrolled; it is not wise to get drunk on them.

2 An angry king is like a roaring lion. Making him angry may cost you your life.

3 Foolish people are always fighting, but avoiding quarrels will bring you honor.

4 Lazy farmers don't plow when they should; they expect a harvest, but there is none.

5 People's thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there.

6 Many people claim to be loyal, but it is hard to find a trustworthy person.

7 The good people who live honest lives will be a blessing to their children.

8 When a king sits on his throne to judge, he knows evil when he sees it.

9 No one can say, "I am innocent; I have never done anything wrong."

10 The Lord hates both these things: dishonest weights and dishonest measures.

11 Even children are known by their behavior; their actions show if they are innocent and good.

12 The Lord has made both these things: ears to hear and eyes to see.

13 If you love to sleep, you will be poor. If you stay awake, you will have plenty of food.

14 Buyers say, "This is bad. It's no good." Then they go away and brag about what they bought.

15 There is gold and plenty of rubies, but only a few people speak with knowledge.

16 Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger's debts, and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes.

17 Stolen food may taste sweet at first, but later it will feel like a mouth full of gravel.

18 Get advice if you want your plans to work. If you go to war, get the advice of others.

19 Gossips can't keep secrets, so avoid people who talk too much.

20 Those who curse their father or mother will be like a light going out in darkness.

21 Wealth inherited quickly in the beginning will do you no good in the end.

22 Don't say, "I'll pay you back for the wrong you did." Wait for the Lord, and he will make things right.

23 The Lord hates dishonest weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.

24 The Lord decides what a person will do; no one understands what his life is all about.

25 It's dangerous to promise something to God too quickly. After you've thought about it, it may be too late.

26 A wise king sorts out the evil people, and he punishes them as they deserve.

27 The Lord looks deep inside people and searches through their thoughts.

28 Loyalty and truth keep a king in power; he continues to rule if he is loyal.

29 Young men glory in their strength, and old men are honored for their gray hair.

30 Hard punishment will get rid of evil, and whippings can change an evil heart.

1 The Lord can control a king's mind as he controls a river; he can direct it as he pleases.

2 You may believe you are doing right, but the Lord judges your reasons.

3 Doing what is right and fair is more important to the Lord than sacrifices.

4 Proud looks, proud thoughts, and evil actions are sin.

5 The plans of hard-working people earn a profit, but those who act too quickly become poor.

6 Wealth that comes from telling lies vanishes like a mist and leads to death.

7 The violence of the wicked will destroy them, because they refuse to do what is right.

8 Guilty people live dishonest lives, but honest people do right.

9 It is better to live in a corner on the roofn than inside the house with a quarreling wife.

10 Evil people only want to harm others. Their neighbors get no mercy from them.

11 If you punish those who make fun of wisdom, a foolish person may gain some wisdom. But if you teach the wise, they will get knowledge.

12 God, who is always right, watches the house of the wicked and brings ruin on every evil person.

13 Whoever ignores the poor when they cry for help will also cry for help and not be answered.

14 A secret gift will calm an angry person; a present given in secrecy will quiet great anger.

15 When justice is done, good people are happy, but evil people are ruined.

16 Whoever does not use good sense will end up among the dead.

17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and perfume will never be rich.

18 Wicked people will suffer instead of good people, and those who cannot be trusted will suffer instead of those who do right.

19 It is better to live alone in the desert than with a quarreling and complaining wife.

20 Wise people's houses are full of the best foods and olive oil, but fools waste everything they have.

21 Whoever tries to live right and be loyal finds life, success, and honor.

22 A wise person can defeat a city full of warriors and tear down the defenses they trust in.

23 Those who are careful about what they say keep themselves out of trouble.

24 People who act with stubborn pride are called "proud," "bragger," and "mocker."

25 Lazy people's desire for sleep will kill them, because they refuse to work.

26 All day long they wish for more, but good people give without holding back.

27 The Lord hates sacrifices brought by evil people, particularly when they offer them for the wrong reasons.

28 A lying witness will be forgotten, but a truthful witness will speak on.

29 Wicked people are stubborn, but good people think carefully about what they do.

30 There is no wisdom, understanding, or advice that can succeed against the Lord.

31 You can get the horses ready for battle, but it is the Lord who gives the victory.

1 Dear friends, we have these promises from God, so we should make ourselves pure -- free from anything that makes body or soul unclean. We should try to become holy in the way we live, because we respect God.

2 Open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, we have not ruined the faith of anyone, and we have not cheated anyone.

3 I do not say this to blame you. I told you before that we love you so much we would live or die with you.

4 I feel very sure of you and am very proud of you. You give me much comfort, and in all of our troubles I have great joy.

5 When we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. We found trouble all around us. We had fighting on the outside and fear on the inside.

6 But God, who comforts those who are troubled, comforted us when Titus came.

7 We were comforted, not only by his coming but also by the comfort you gave him. Titus told us about your wish to see me and that you are very sorry for what you did. He also told me about your great care for me, and when I heard this, I was much happier.

8 Even if my letter made you sad, I am not sorry I wrote it. At first I was sorry, because it made you sad, but you were sad only for a short time.

9 Now I am happy, not because you were made sad, but because your sorrow made you change your lives. You became sad in the way God wanted you to, so you were not hurt by us in any way.

10 The kind of sorrow God wants makes people change their hearts and lives. This leads to salvation, and you cannot be sorry for that. But the kind of sorrow the world has brings death.

11 See what this sorrow -- the sorrow God wanted you to have -- has done to you: It has made you very serious. It made you want to prove you were not wrong. It made you angry and afraid. It made you want to see me. It made you care. It made you want the right thing to be done. You proved you were innocent in the problem.

12 I wrote that letter, not because of the one who did the wrong or because of the person who was hurt. I wrote the letter so you could see, before God, the great care you have for us.

13 That is why we were comforted. Not only were we very comforted, we were even happier to see that Titus was so happy. All of you made him feel much better.

14 I bragged to Titus about you, and you showed that I was right. Everything we said to you was true, and you have proved that what we bragged about to Titus is true.

15 And his love for you is stronger when he remembers that you were all ready to obey. You welcomed him with respect and fear.

16 I am very happy that I can trust you fully.