Proverbs 8–9
1 Does not wisdom cry out,
and understanding lift up her voice?
2 She stands on the top of high places,
by the way in the places of the paths.
3 She cries out at the gates,
at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
and my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you simple, understand wisdom,
and you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Hear, for I will speak of excellent things,
and from the opening of my lips will be right things;
7 for my mouth will speak truth,
and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
there is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 for wisdom is better than rubies,
and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
pride and arrogance
and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.
15 By me kings reign,
and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule,
and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me early will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
yes, enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold,
yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver.
20 I lead in the way of righteousness,
in the midst of the paths of justice,
21 that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
and I will fill their treasuries.
22 “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way,
before His works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting,
from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth,
when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills I was brought forth;
26 while as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
or the first dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
when He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when He established the clouds above,
when He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 when He gave to the sea His decree,
that the waters should not pass His commandment,
when He appointed the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him;
and I was daily His delight,
rejoicing always before Him,
31 rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth,
and my delights were with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore listen to me, O you children,
for blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise,
and do not refuse it.
34 Blessed is the man who hears me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
and will obtain favor of the Lord;
36 but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
all those who hate me love death.”
Chapter 9
1 Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 she has killed her beasts, she has mixed her wine,
she has also furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
she cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.”
As for him who wants understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come, eat of my bread,
and drink of the wine which I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
and go in the way of understanding.”
7 He who reproves a scorner gets shame for himself,
and he who rebukes a wicked man gets hurt.
8 Do not reprove a scorner, lest he hate you;
rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser;
teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and the years of your life will be increased.
12 If you are wise, you will be wise for yourself,
but if you scorn, you alone will bear it.
13 A foolish woman is clamorous;
she is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 to call those who pass by
who go right on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.”
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen waters are sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
and that her guests are in the depths of the grave.
2 Corinthians 3
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, letters of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our letter written in our hearts, known and read by all men. 3 For you are prominently declared to be the letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on human tablets of the heart.
4 We have such trust through Christ toward God, 5 not that we are sufficient in ourselves to take credit for anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 If the ministry that brought death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, the glory which was to fade away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation is glorious, the ministry of righteousness much more exceeds it in glory. 10 Even that which was made glorious had no glory in comparison to the glory that excels. 11 For if that which fades was glorious, that which remains is much more glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we speak with great boldness, 13 not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel could not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 Instead, their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the old covenant, the veil which was done away with in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is in their hearts. 16 Nevertheless when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.