Monday, May 22, 2023

Proverbs 28

¹The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

³A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.

⁶Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

⁷He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

⁸He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

⁹If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.

¹⁰He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

¹¹A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

¹³He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.

¹⁷A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death; let no one support him.

¹⁸He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

¹⁹He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good-- yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

²³He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

²⁴He who robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong"-- he is partner to him who destroys.

²⁵A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

²⁶He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

²⁷He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

 

 

Psalm 119:89–96

⁸⁹Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. ⁹⁰Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. ⁹¹Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. ⁹²If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. ⁹³I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. ⁹⁴Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts. ⁹⁵The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes. ⁹⁶To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless.

 

 

2 Peter 1:1–15

¹Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

²Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

³His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

¹⁰Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, ¹¹and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹²So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. ¹³I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, ¹⁴because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ¹⁵And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.