the Third Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
August 30 - Different Topics
niv
Proverbs 20-21
Chapter 20
1 Wine(a) is a mocker(b) and beer a brawler;
whoever is led astray(c) by them is not wise.(d)
2 A king's wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;(e)
those who anger him forfeit their lives.(f)
3 It is to one's honor to avoid strife,
but every fool(g) is quick to quarrel.(h)
4 Sluggards(i) do not plow in season;
so at harvest time they look but find nothing.(j)
5 The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters,(k)
but one who has insight draws them out.
6 Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?(l)
7 The righteous lead blameless lives;(m)
blessed are their children after them.(n)
8 When a king sits on his throne to judge,(o)
he winnows out all evil with his eyes.(p)
9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure;(q)
I am clean and without sin"?(r)
10 Differing weights and differing measures—
the
Lord
detests them both.(s)
11 Even small children are known by their actions,
so is their conduct really pure(t) and upright?
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the
Lord
has made them both.(u)
13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;(v)
stay awake and you will have food to spare.
14 "It's no good, it's no good!" says the buyer—
then goes off and boasts about the purchase.
15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge(w) if it is done for an outsider.(x)
17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,(y)
but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.(z)
18 Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance.(aa)
19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(ab)
so avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If someone curses their father or mother,(ac)
their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.(ad)
21 An inheritance claimed too soon
will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!"(ae)
Wait for the
Lord
, and he will avenge you.(af)
23 The
Lord
detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.(ag)
24 A person's steps are directed(ah) by the
Lord
.(ai)
How then can anyone understand their own way?(aj)
25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
and only later to consider one's vows.(ak)
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them.(al)
27 The human spirit is[a] the lamp of the
Lord
(am)
that sheds light on one's inmost being.(an)
28 Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
through love(ao) his throne is made secure.(ap)
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
gray hair the splendor of the old.(aq)
30 Blows and wounds scrub(ar) away evil,
and beatings(as) purge the inmost being.
Chapter 21
1 In the
Lord
's hand the king's heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.(a)
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the
Lord
weighs the heart.(b)
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the
Lord
than sacrifice.(c)
4 Haughty eyes(d) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit(e)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
6 A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[a](f)
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,(g)
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,(h)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(i)
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.(j)
12 The Righteous One[b] takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.(k)
13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
will also cry out(l) and not be answered.(m)
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.(n)
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.(o)
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.(p)
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.(q)
18 The wicked become a ransom(r) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(s)
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity[c](t) and honor.(u)
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(v)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 Those who guard their mouths(w) and their tongues
keep themselves from calamity.(x)
24 The proud and arrogant person(y)—"Mocker" is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,(z)
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous(aa) give without sparing.(ab)
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable(ac)—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!(ad)
28 A false witness(ae) will perish,(af)
but a careful listener will testify successfully.
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.(ag)
30 There is no wisdom,(ah) no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the
Lord
.(ai)
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the
Lord
.(aj)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
