Old Testament:
Proverbs 19–20
Proverbs 19–20 (Listen)
19Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
2DesireOr A soul“>1 without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the LORD.
4Wealth brings many new friends,
but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
5A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
6Many seek the favor of a generous man,Or of a noble“>2
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
7All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.The meaning of the Hebrew sentence is uncertain“>3
8Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will discover good.
9A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will perish.
10It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
14House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
and an idle person will suffer hunger.
16Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
17Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will repay him for his deed.
18Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on putting him to death.
19A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
20Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in the future.
21Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
22What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and a poor man is better than a liar.
23The fear of the LORD leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
24The sluggard buries his hand in the dish
and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.
27Cease to hear instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
29Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
and beating for the backs of fools.
20Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.Or will not become wise“>4
2The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
3It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
4The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
5The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,
but a faithful man who can find?
7The righteous who walks in his integrity—
blessed are his children after him!
8A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
9Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
10UnequalOr Two kinds of; also verse 23“>5 weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
11Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.Or Even a child can dissemble in his actions, though his conduct seems pure and upright“>6
12The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
the LORD has made them both.
13Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
14“Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15There is gold and abundance of costly stones,
but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.Or for an adulteress (compare 27:13)“>7
17Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
18Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
19Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.Hebrew with one who is simple in his lips“>8
20If one curses his father or his mother,
his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
22Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
23Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD,
and false scales are not good.
24A man’s steps are from the LORD;
how then can man understand his way?
25It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
and to reflect only after making vows.
26A wise king winnows the wicked
and drives the wheel over them.
27The spiritHebrew breath“>9 of man is the lamp of the LORD,
searching all his innermost parts.
28Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
29The glory of young men is their strength,
but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean the innermost parts.
Footnotes
[1] 19:2
[2] 19:6
[3] 19:7
[4] 20:1
[5] 20:10
[6] 20:11
[7] 20:16
[8] 20:19
[9] 20:27
(ESV)
Psalm:
Psalm 70
Psalm 70 (Listen)
O Lord, Do Not Delay
To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering.
70Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
O LORD, make haste to help me!
2Let them be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
3Let them turn back because of their shame
who say, “Aha, Aha!”
4May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”
5But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay!
(ESV)
New Testament:
John 12
John 12 (Listen)
Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany
12Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3Mary therefore took a poundGreek litra; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams“>1 of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denariiA denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer“>2 and given to the poor?” 6He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep itOr Leave her alone; she intended to keep it“>3 for the day of my burial. 8For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
The Plot to Kill Lazarus
9When the large crowd of the Jews learned that JesusGreek he“>4 was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
12The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Some Greeks Seek Jesus
20Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up
27“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
The Unbelief of the People
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Jesus Came to Save the World
44And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
Footnotes
[1] 12:3
[2] 12:5
[3] 12:7
[4] 12:9
(ESV)
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