the First Week of Advent
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
August 1 - Straight Thru the Bible
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Proverbs 21-23
Chapter 21
1 A king's heart is like streams of water in the
Lord
's hand:
He directs it wherever He chooses.(a)
2 All a man's ways seem right to him,
but the
Lord
evaluates the motives.[a](b)
3 Doing what is righteous and just
is more acceptable to the
Lord
than sacrifice.(c)
4 The lamp[b] that guides the wicked—
haughty eyes and an arrogant heart(d)—is sin.
5 The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.(e)
6 Making a fortune through a lying tongue
is a vanishing mist,[c] a pursuit of death.[d][e](f)
7 The violence of the wicked sweeps them away
because they refuse to act justly.
8 A guilty man's conduct is crooked,(g)
but the behavior of the innocent is upright.(h)
9 Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.(i)
10 A wicked person desires evil;
he has no consideration[f] for his neighbor.(j)
11 When a mocker is punished,
the inexperienced become wiser;
when one teaches a wise man,
he acquires knowledge.(k)
12 The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked;
He brings the wicked to ruin.
13 The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
will himself also call out and not be answered.(l)
14 A secret gift soothes anger,
and a covert bribe,[g] fierce rage.(m)
15 Justice executed is a joy to the righteous
but a terror to those who practice iniquity.(n)
16 The man who strays from the way of wisdom
will come to rest
in the assembly of the departed spirits.(o)
17 The one who loves pleasure will become a poor man;
whoever loves wine and oil will not get rich.(p)
18 The wicked are a ransom for the righteous,
and the treacherous, for[h] the upright.(q)
19 Better to live in a wilderness
than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife.(r)
20 Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person,
but a foolish man consumes them.[i](s)
21 The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love
will find life, righteousness, and honor.(t)
22 A wise person went up against a city of warriors
and brought down its secure fortress.(u)
23 The one who guards his mouth and tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.(v)
24 The proud and arrogant person, named "Mocker,"
acts with excessive pride.(w)
25 A slacker's craving will kill him
because his hands refuse to work.(x)
26 He is filled with craving[j] all day long,
but the righteous give and don't hold back.(y)
27 The sacrifice of a wicked person is detestable—
how much more so
when he brings it with ulterior motives!(z)
28 A lying witness will perish,(aa)
but the one who listens will speak successfully.
29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,(ab)
but the upright man considers his way.
30 No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel
will prevail against the
Lord
.(ac)
31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle,(ad)
but victory comes from the
Lord
.(ae)
Chapter 22
1 A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;
favor is better than silver and gold.(a)
2 The rich and the poor have this in common:[a]
the
Lord
made them both.[b](b)
3 A sensible person sees danger and takes cover,
but the inexperienced keep going and are punished.(c)
4 The result of humility is fear of the
Lord
,
along with wealth, honor, and life.(d)
5 There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked;(e)
the one who guards himself stays far from them.
6 Teach a youth about the way he should go;(f)
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 The rich rule over the poor,(g)
and the borrower is a slave to the lender.(h)
8 The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,(i)
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
9 A generous person[c] will be blessed,(j)
for he shares his food with the poor.(k)
10 Drive out a mocker,(l) and conflict goes too;
then quarreling and dishonor will cease.(m)
11 The one who loves a pure heart
and gracious lips—the king is his friend.(n)
12 The
Lord
's eyes keep watch over knowledge,
but He overthrows the words of the treacherous.
13 The slacker says, "There's a lion outside!
I'll be killed in the public square!"(o)
14 The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;
a man cursed by the
Lord
will fall into it.(p)
15 Foolishness is tangled up in the heart of a youth;
the rod of discipline will drive it away from him.(q)
16 Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself,
and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.(r)
Words of the Wise
17 Listen closely,[d] pay attention to the words of the wise,(s)
and apply your mind to my knowledge.
18 For it is pleasing if you keep them within you
and if[e] they are constantly on your lips.
19 I have instructed you today—even you—
so that your confidence may be in the
Lord
.
20 Haven't I written for you thirty sayings[f]
about counsel and knowledge,
21 in order to teach you true and reliable words,
so that you may give a dependable report[g](t)
to those who sent you?(u)
22 Don't rob a poor man because he is poor,
and don't crush the oppressed(v) at the gate,(w)
23 for the
Lord
will take up their case(x)
and will plunder those who plunder them.
24 Don't make friends with an angry man,[h]
and don't be a companion of a hot-tempered man,(y)
25 or you will learn his ways(z)
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Don't be one of those who enter agreements,[i]
who put up security for loans.(aa)
27 If you have no money to pay,
even your bed will be taken from under you.(ab)
28 Don't move an ancient boundary marker
that your fathers set up.(ac)
29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will stand in the presence of kings.
He will not stand in the presence of unknown men.(ad)
Chapter 23
1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
consider carefully what[a] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you have a big[b] appetite;
3 don't desire his choice food,(a)
for that food is deceptive.
4 Don't wear yourself out to get rich;(b)
stop giving your attention to it.
5 As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears,(c)
for it makes wings for itself
and flies like an eagle to the sky.
6 Don't eat a stingy person's bread,[c](d)
and don't desire his choice food,(e)
7 for it's like someone calculating inwardly.[d](f)
"Eat and drink," he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.(g)
8 You will vomit the little you've eaten
and waste your pleasant words.
9 Don't speak to[e] a fool,
for he will despise the insight of your words.(h)
10 Don't move an ancient boundary marker,(i)
and don't encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Redeemer is strong,(j)
and He will take up their case against you.(k)
12 Apply yourself to discipline
and listen to words of knowledge.
13 Don't withhold discipline from a youth;
if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.(l)
14 Strike him with a rod,
and you will rescue his life from Sheol.(m)
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart will indeed rejoice.(n)
16 My innermost being will cheer
when your lips say what is right.(o)
17 Don't let your heart envy sinners;(p)
instead, always fear the
Lord
.(q)
18 For then you will have a future,
and your hope will never fade.(r)
19 Listen, my son, and be wise;
keep your mind on the right course.
20 Don't associate with those who drink too much wine(s)
or with those who gorge themselves on meat.(t)
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor,
and grogginess will clothe them in rags.(u)
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and don't despise your mother when[f] she is old.(v)
23 Buy—and do not sell—truth,
wisdom, instruction, and understanding.(w)
24 The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly,
and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.(x)
25 Let your father and mother have joy,(y)
and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit,(z)
and a stranger is a narrow well;
28 indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber(aa)
and increases those among men who are unfaithful.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has conflicts? Who has complaints?
Who has wounds for no reason?(ab)
Who has red eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,
those who go looking for mixed wine.(ac)
31 Don't gaze at wine because it is red,(ad)
when it gleams in the cup
and goes down smoothly.(ae)
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and you will say absurd things.[g](af)
34 You'll be like someone sleeping out at sea
or lying down on the top of a ship's mast.
35 "They struck me, but[h] I feel no pain!
They beat me, but I didn't know it!(ag)
When will I wake up?
I'll look for another drink."(ah)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
