Proverbs 8; Proverbs 9; 2 Corinthians 3

1 Doesn't wisdom call out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice?

2 On the high roads along the way, she takes her place where the paths meet.

3 Beside the gates leading into the city, she cries out at the entrances.

4 She says, "Men, I call out to you. I raise my voice to all human beings.

5 You who are childish, get some good sense. You who are foolish, gain understanding.

6 Listen! I have worthy things to say. I open my lips to speak what is right.

7 My mouth speaks what is true. My lips hate evil.

8 All the words of my mouth are honest. None of them is twisted or sinful.

9 To those who have understanding, all my words are right. To those who have knowledge, they are true.

10 Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose knowledge rather than fine gold.

11 Wisdom is worth more than rubies. Nothing you want can compare with her.

12 "I, wisdom, live together with understanding. I have knowledge and good sense.

13 To have respect for the LORD is to hate evil. I hate pride and bragging. I hate evil ways and twisted words.

14 I have good sense and give good advice. I have understanding and power.

15 By me kings rule. Leaders make laws that are fair.

16 By me princes govern. By me all nobles rule on earth.

17 I love those who love me. Those who look for me find me.

18 With me are riches and honor. With me are lasting wealth and success.

19 My fruit is better than fine gold. My gifts are better than the finest silver.

20 I walk in ways that are honest. I take paths that are right.

21 I leave riches to those who love me. I give them more than they have room for.

22 "The LORD created me as the first of his works, before his acts of long ago.

23 I was formed at the very beginning. I was formed before the world began.

24 Before there were any oceans, I was born. There weren't any springs of water at that time.

25 Before the mountains were settled in place, I was born. Before there were any hills, I was born.

26 It happened before the LORD made the earth and its fields. It was before he made the dust of the world.

27 I was there when he set the heavens in place. When he marked out the place where the sky meets the sea, I was there.

28 That was when he put the clouds above. It was when he fixed the ocean springs in place.

29 It was when he set limits for the sea so that the waters had to obey his command. When he marked out the foundations of the earth, I was there.

30 I was the skilled worker at his side. I was filled with delight day after day. I was always happy to be with him.

31 His whole world filled me with joy. I took delight in all human beings.

32 "My children, listen to me. Blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Listen to my teaching and be wise. Don't turn away from it.

34 Blessed is the one who listens to me. He watches every day at my doors. He waits beside my doorway.

35 Those who find me find life. They receive favor from the Lord.

36 But those who don't find me harm only themselves. Everyone who hates me loves death."

1 Wisdom has built her house. She has made its seven pillars.

2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

3 She has sent out her female servants. She calls out from the highest point of the city.

4 She says, "Let all who are childish come in here!" She speaks to those who have no sense.

5 "Come and eat my food. Drink the wine I have mixed.

6 Leave your childish ways and you will live. Walk in the way that leads to understanding.

7 "When you correct someone who makes fun of others, you might be laughed at. When you warn a sinner, you might get hurt.

8 Don't warn those who make fun of others. They will hate you. Warn those who are wise. They will love you.

9 Teach a wise man. He will become even wiser. Teach a person who does right. He will learn even more.

10 "If you really want to become wise, you must begin by having respect for the Lord. To know the Holy One is to gain understanding.

11 Through me, you will live a long time. Years will be added to your life.

12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you. If you make fun of others, you alone will suffer."

13 The woman called Foolishness is loud. She doesn't control herself. She doesn't know anything.

14 She sits at the door of her house. She sits at the highest point of the city.

15 She calls out to those who pass by. She calls out to those who go straight on their way.

16 She says, "Let all who are childish come in here!" She speaks to those who have no sense.

17 She says, "Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret tastes good!"

18 But they don't know that dead people are there. They don't know that her guests are in the deepest parts of the grave.

1 Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Some people need letters that speak well of them. Do we need those kinds of letters, either to you or from you?

2 You yourselves are our letter. You are written on our hearts. Everyone knows you and reads you.

3 You make it clear that you are a letter from Christ. You are the result of our work for God. You are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. You are a letter written not on tablets made out of stone but on human hearts.

4 Through Christ, we can be sure of this because of our faith in God's power.

5 In ourselves we are not able to claim anything for ourselves. The power to do what we do comes from God.

6 He has given us the power to serve under a new covenant. The covenant is not based on the written Law of Moses. It comes from the Holy Spirit. The written Law kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 The Law was written in letters on stone. Even though it was a way of serving God, it led to death. But even that way of serving God came with glory. And even though the glory was fading, the people of Israel couldn't look at Moses' face very long.

8 Since all of that is true, won't the work of the Holy Spirit be even more glorious?

9 The Law that sentences people to death is glorious. How much more glorious is the work of the Spirit! His work makes people right with God.

10 The glory of the old covenant is nothing compared with the far greater glory of the new.

11 The glory of the old is fading away. How much greater is the glory of the new! It will last forever.

12 Since we have that kind of hope, we are very bold.

13 We are not like Moses. He used to cover his face with a veil. That was to keep the people of Israel from looking at his face while the brightness was fading away.

14 But their minds were made stubborn. To this very day, the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil has not been removed. Only faith in Christ can take it away.

15 To this very day, when the Law of Moses is read, a veil covers the minds of those who hear it.

16 But when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

17 Now the Lord is the Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is also there.

18 Our faces are not covered with a veil. We all display the Lord's glory. We are being changed to become more like him so that we have more and more glory. And the glory comes from the Lord, who is the Holy Spirit.