Old/New Testament
22 A good name[a] is to be chosen[b] rather than great wealth,
good favor[c] more than silver or gold.
2 The rich and the poor are met together;[d]
the Lord is the Creator of them both.[e]
3 A shrewd person[f] saw[g] danger[h] and hid[i] himself,
but the naive passed on by and paid for it.[j]
4 The reward[k] for humility[l] and fearing the Lord[m]
is riches and honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares[n] are in the path of the perverse,
but the one who guards himself keeps far from them.
6 Train[o] a child[p] in the way that he should go,[q]
and when he is old he will not turn from it.[r]
7 The rich rule over[s] the poor,
and the borrower is servant[t] to the lender.
8 The one who sows[u] iniquity will reap trouble,
and the rod of his fury[v] will end.
9 A generous person[w] will be blessed,[x]
for he has given some of his food[y] to the poor.
10 Drive out the scorner[z] and contention will leave;
strife and insults will cease.[aa]
11 The one who loves a pure heart[ab]
and whose speech is gracious[ac]—the king will be his friend.[ad]
12 The eyes of the Lord[ae] watched[af] over a cause,[ag]
and subverted the words of the treacherous person.[ah]
13 The sluggard has said,[ai] “There is a lion[aj] outside!
I will be killed in the middle of the streets!”[ak]
14 The mouth[al] of an adulteress is like[am] a deep pit;[an]
the one against whom the Lord is angry[ao] will fall into it.[ap]
15 Folly is bound up[aq] in the heart of a child,[ar]
but the rod of discipline[as] will drive it far from him.
16 The one who oppresses the poor to increase his own gain
and the one who gives to the rich[at]—both end up only in poverty.
The Sayings of the Wise[au]
17 Incline your ear[av] and listen to the words of the wise,
and apply your mind[aw] to my instruction.[ax]
18 For it is pleasing if[ay] you keep these sayings[az] within you,
and[ba] they are ready on your lips.[bb]
19 So that[bc] your confidence may be in the Lord,
I hereby make them known[bd] to you today—even you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings[be] for you,
sayings[bf] of counsel and knowledge,
21 to show you true and reliable words,[bg]
so that you may give accurate answers[bh] to those who sent you?
22 Do not exploit[bi] a poor person because he is poor
and do not crush the needy in court,[bj]
23 for the Lord will plead their case[bk]
and will rob the life[bl] of those who are robbing[bm] them.
24 Do not make friends with an angry person,[bn]
and do not associate with a wrathful person,
25 lest you learn[bo] his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.[bp]
26 Do not be one who strikes hands in pledge
or who puts up security for debts.
27 If you do not have enough to pay,
your bed[bq] will be taken[br] right out from under you![bs]
28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone[bt]
that was put in place by your ancestors.[bu]
29 You have seen[bv] a person skilled[bw] in his work—
he will take his position before kings;
he will not take his position[bx] before obscure people.[by]
23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
consider carefully[bz] what[ca] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat[cb]
if you possess a large appetite.[cc]
3 Do not crave that ruler’s[cd] delicacies,
for[ce] that food is deceptive.[cf]
4 Do not wear yourself out to become rich;
be wise enough to restrain yourself.[cg]
5 When you gaze upon riches,[ch] they are gone,
for they surely make wings for themselves,
and fly off into the sky like an eagle![ci]
6 Do not eat the food of a stingy person,[cj]
do not crave his delicacies;
7 for he is[ck] like someone who has calculated the cost[cl] in his mind.[cm]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you;
8 you will vomit up[cn] the little bit you have eaten,
and will have wasted your pleasant words.[co]
9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool,[cp]
for he will despise the wisdom of your words.[cq]
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone,
or take over[cr] the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Protector[cs] is strong;
he will plead their case against you.[ct]
12 Apply[cu] your heart to instruction
and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
even if you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike[cv] him with the rod,
you will deliver him[cw] from death.[cx]
15 My child,[cy] if your heart is wise,
then my heart also will be glad;
16 my soul[cz] will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.[da]
17 Do not let your heart envy[db] sinners,
but rather be zealous in fearing the Lord[dc] all the time.
18 For surely there is a future,[dd]
and your hope will not be cut off.[de]
19 Listen, my child,[df] and be wise,
and guide your heart on the right way.
20 Do not spend time[dg] among drunkards,[dh]
among those who eat too much[di] meat,
21 because drunkards and gluttons become impoverished,
and drowsiness[dj] clothes them with rags.[dk]
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Acquire[dl] truth and do not sell it—
wisdom, and discipline, and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous person will rejoice greatly;[dm]
whoever fathers a wise child[dn] will have joy in him.
25 May your father and your mother have joy;
may she who bore you rejoice.[do]
26 Give me your heart, my son,[dp]
and let your eyes observe my ways;
27 for a prostitute is like[dq] a deep pit;
a harlot[dr] is like[ds] a narrow well.[dt]
28 Indeed, she lies in wait like a robber,[du]
and increases the unfaithful[dv] among men.[dw]
29 Who has woe?[dx] Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause? Who has dullness[dy] of the eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,
those who go looking for mixed wine.[dz]
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
when it sparkles[ea] in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly.[eb]
32 Afterward[ec] it bites like a snake,
and stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,[ed]
and your mind will speak perverse things.
34 And you will be like one who lies down in the midst[ee] of the sea,
and like one who lies down on the top of the rigging.[ef]
35 You will say,[eg] “They have struck me, but I am not harmed!
They beat me, but I did not know it![eh]
When will I awake? I will look for another drink.”[ei]
24 Do not envy evil people,[ej]
do not desire[ek] to be with them;
2 for their hearts contemplate violence,
and their lips speak harm.[el]
3 By[em] wisdom a house is built,[en]
and through understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge its rooms are filled
with all kinds of precious and pleasing treasures.
5 A wise warrior[eo] is strong,[ep]
and a man of knowledge makes his strength stronger;
6 for with guidance you wage your war,
and with numerous advisers there is victory.[eq]
7 Wisdom is unattainable[er] for a fool;
in court[es] he does not open his mouth.[et]
8 The one who plans to do evil
will be called a scheming person.[eu]
9 A foolish scheme[ev] is sin,
and the scorner is an abomination to people.[ew]
10 You have slacked off[ex] in the day of trouble[ey]—
your strength is small![ez]
11 Deliver those being taken away to death,
and hold back those slipping to the slaughter.[fa]
12 If you say, “But we did not know about this,”
won’t[fb] the one who evaluates[fc] hearts discern it?
Won’t the one who guards your life realize[fd]
and repay each person according to his deeds?[fe]
13 Eat honey,[ff] my child, for it is good,
and honey from the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 Likewise, know[fg] that wisdom is sweet[fh] to your soul;
if you have found it,[fi] you have a future,[fj]
and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait like the wicked[fk] against the place where the righteous live;
do not assault[fl] his home.
16 Indeed[fm] a righteous person will fall[fn] seven times, and then get up again,
but the guilty will collapse[fo] in calamity.
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,[fp]
and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,
18 lest the Lord see it, and be displeased,[fq]
and turn his wrath away from him.[fr]
19 Do not fret because of evil people
or be envious of wicked people,
20 for the evil person has no future,[fs]
and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.[ft]
21 Fear the Lord, my child,[fu] as well as the king,
and do not associate[fv] with rebels,[fw]
22 for suddenly their destruction will overtake them,[fx]
and who knows the ruinous judgment both the Lord and the king can bring?[fy]
Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These sayings also are from the wise:
To show partiality[fz] in judgment is terrible:[ga]
24 The one who says to the guilty,[gb] “You are innocent,”[gc]
peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce[gd] him.
25 But there will be delight[ge] for those who convict[gf] the guilty,[gg]
and a pleasing blessing[gh] will come on them.
26 Like a kiss on the lips[gi]
is the one who gives an honest answer.
27 Establish your work outside and get your fields ready;
afterward build[gj] your house.[gk]
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,[gl]
and do not deceive with your words.[gm]
29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will pay him back[gn] according to what he has done.”[go]
30 I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of one who lacks sense.[gp]
31 I saw[gq] that thorns had grown up all over it,
the ground[gr] was covered with weeds,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I scrutinized[gs] it. I was putting[gt] my mind[gu] to it—
I saw;[gv] I took in a lesson:[gw]
33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to relax,
34 and your poverty will come like a bandit,
and your need like an armed robber.”[gx]
Completing the Collection for the Saints
8 Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters,[a] the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia, 2 that during a severe ordeal of suffering, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in the wealth[b] of their generosity. 3 For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily,[c] 4 begging us with great earnestness for the blessing and fellowship of helping[d] the saints. 5 And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6 Thus[e] we urged[f] Titus that, just as he had previously begun this work,[g] so also he should complete this act of kindness[h] for you. 7 But as you excel[i] in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you[j]—make sure that you excel[k] in this act of kindness[l] too. 8 I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others.[m] 9 For you know the grace[n] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich. 10 So here is my opinion on this matter: It is to your advantage, since you[o] made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give, 11 to finish what you started,[p] so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly,[q] you can also complete it according to your means.[r] 12 For if the eagerness is present, the gift itself[s] is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality. 14 At the present time, your abundance will meet their need,[t] so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered[u] much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”[v]
The Mission of Titus
16 But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same devotion[w] I have for you, 17 because he not only accepted our request, but since he was very eager,[x] he is coming[y] to you of his own accord.[z] 18 And we are sending[aa] along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in spreading the gospel.[ab] 19 In addition,[ac] this brother[ad] has also been chosen by the churches as our traveling companion as we administer this generous gift[ae] to the glory of the Lord himself and to show our readiness to help.[af] 20 We did this[ag] as a precaution so that no one should blame us in regard to this generous gift we are administering. 21 For we are concerned about what is right not only before the Lord but also before men.[ah] 22 And we are sending[ai] with them our brother whom we have tested many times and found eager in many matters, but who now is much more eager than ever because of the great confidence he has in you. 23 If there is any question[aj] about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; if there is any question about our brothers, they are messengers[ak] of the churches, a glory to Christ. 24 Therefore show[al] them openly before the churches the proof of your love and of our pride in you.[am]
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