1 Samuel 14:37

14:37 So Saul asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.

1 Samuel 14:1

14:1 Then one day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the Philistine garrison that is opposite us.” But he did not let his father know.

1 Samuel 10:14

10:14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” Saul replied, “To look for the donkeys. But when we realized they were lost, we went to Samuel.”

Proverbs 1:1-33

Introduction to the Book

1:1 The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

1:2 To learn wisdom and moral instruction,

and to discern wise counsel.

1:3 To receive moral instruction in skillful living,

in righteousness, justice, and equity.

1:4 To impart shrewdness to the morally naive,

and a discerning plan to the young person.

1:5 (Let the wise also hear and gain instruction,

and let the discerning acquire guidance!)

1:6 To discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable,

the sayings of the wise and their riddles.

Introduction to the Theme of the Book

1:7 Fearing the Lord is the beginning of moral knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

1:8 Listen, my child, to the instruction from your father,

and do not forsake the teaching from your mother.

1:9 For they will be like an elegant garland on your head,

and like pendants around your neck.

Admonition to Avoid Easy but Unjust Riches

1:10 My child, if sinners try to entice you,

do not consent!

1:11 If they say, “Come with us!

We will lie in wait to shed blood;

we will ambush an innocent person capriciously.

1:12 We will swallow them alive like Sheol,

those full of vigor like those going down to the Pit.

1:13 We will seize all kinds of precious wealth;

we will fill our houses with plunder.

1:14 Join with us!

We will all share equally in what we steal.”

1:15 My child, do not go down their way,

withhold yourself from their path;

1:16 for they are eager to inflict harm,

and they hasten to shed blood.

1:17 Surely it is futile to spread a net

in plain sight of any bird,

1:18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood,

they ambush their own lives!

1:19 Such are the ways of all who gain profit unjustly;

it takes away the life of those who obtain it!

Warning Against Disregarding Wisdom

1:20 Wisdom calls out in the street,

she shouts loudly in the plazas;

1:21 at the head of the noisy streets she calls,

in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words:

1:22 “How long will you simpletons love naiveté?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

1:23 If only you will respond to my rebuke,

then I will pour out my thoughts to you

and I will make my words known to you.

1:24 However, because I called but you refused to listen,

because I stretched out my hand but no one paid attention,

1:25 because you neglected all my advice,

and did not comply with my rebuke,

1:26 so I myself will laugh when disaster strikes you,

I will mock when what you dread comes,

1:27 when what you dread comes like a whirlwind,

and disaster strikes you like a devastating storm,

when distressing trouble comes on you.

1:28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer;

they will diligently seek me, but they will not find me.

1:29 Because they hated moral knowledge,

and did not choose to fear the Lord,

1:30 they did not comply with my advice,

they spurned all my rebuke.

1:31 Therefore they will eat from the fruit of their way,

and they will be stuffed full of their own counsel.

1:32 For the waywardness of the

simpletons will kill them,

and the careless ease of fools will destroy them.

1:33 But the one who listens to me will live in security,

and will be at ease from the dread of harm.

Proverbs 27:1--28:28

27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow;

for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

27:2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;

someone else, and not your own lips.

27:3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

but vexation by a fool is more burdensome than the two of them.

27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming,

but who can stand before jealousy?

27:5 Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.

27:7 The one whose appetite is satisfied loathes honey,

but to the hungry mouth every bitter thing is sweet.

27:8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest,

so is a person who wanders from his home.

27:9 Ointment and incense make the heart rejoice,

likewise the sweetness of one’s friend from sincere counsel.

27:10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,

and do not enter your brother’s house in the day of your disaster;

a neighbor nearby is better than a brother far away.

27:11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,

so that I may answer anyone who taunts me.

27:12 A shrewd person sees danger and hides himself,

but the naive keep right on going and suffer for it.

27:13 Take a man’s garment when he has given security for a stranger,

and when he gives surety for a stranger, hold him in pledge.

27:14 If someone blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,

it will be counted as a curse to him.

27:15 A continual dripping on a rainy day

and a contentious wife are alike.

27:16 Whoever hides her hides the wind

or grasps oil with his right hand.

27:17 As iron sharpens iron,

so a person sharpens his friend.

27:18 The one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and whoever takes care of his master will be honored.

27:19 As in water the face is reflected as a face,

so a person’s heart reflects the person.

27:20 As Death and Destruction are never satisfied,

so the eyes of a person are never satisfied.

27:21 As the crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,

so a person is proved by the praise he receives.

27:22 If you should pound the fool in the mortar

among the grain with the pestle,

his foolishness would not depart from him.

27:23 Pay careful attention to the condition of your flocks,

give careful attention to your herds,

27:24 for riches do not last forever,

nor does a crown last from generation to generation.

27:25 When the hay is removed and new grass appears,

and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

27:26 the lambs will be for your clothing,

and the goats will be for the price of a field.

27:27 And there will be enough goat’s milk for your food,

for the food of your household,

and for the sustenance of your servant girls.

28:1 The wicked person flees when there is no one pursuing,

but the righteous person is as confident as a lion.

28:2 When a country is rebellious it has many princes,

but by someone who is discerning and knowledgeable order is maintained.

28:3 A poor person who oppresses the weak

is like a driving rain without food.

28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

but those who keep the law contend with them.

28:5 Evil people do not understand justice,

but those who seek the Lord understand it all.

28:6 A poor person who walks in his integrity is better

than one who is perverse in his ways even though he is rich.

28:7 The one who keeps the law is a discerning child,

but a companion of gluttons brings shame to his parents.

28:8 The one who increases his wealth by increasing interest

gathers it for someone who is gracious to the needy.

28:9 The one who turns away his ear from hearing the law,

even his prayer is an abomination.

28:10 The one who leads the upright astray in an evil way

will himself fall into his own pit,

but the blameless will inherit what is good.

28:11 A rich person is wise in his own eyes,

but a discerning poor person can evaluate him properly.

28:12 When the righteous rejoice, great is the glory,

but when the wicked rise to power, people are sought out.

28:13 The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper,

but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy.

28:14 Blessed is the one who is always cautious,

but whoever hardens his heart will fall into evil.

28:15 Like a roaring lion or a roving bear,

so is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

28:16 The prince who is a great oppressor lacks wisdom,

but the one who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

28:17 The one who is tormented by the murder of another will flee to the pit;

let no one support him.

28:18 The one who walks blamelessly will be delivered,

but whoever is perverse in his ways will fall at once.

28:19 The one who works his land will be satisfied with food,

but whoever chases daydreams will have his fill of poverty.

28:20 A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings,

but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished.

28:21 To show partiality is terrible,

for a person will transgress over the smallest piece of bread.

28:22 The stingy person hastens after riches

and does not know that poverty will overtake him.

28:23 The one who reproves another will in the end find more favor

than the one who flatters with the tongue.

28:24 The one who robs his father and mother and says, “There is no transgression,”

is a companion to the one who destroys.

28:25 The greedy person stirs up dissension,

but the one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

28:26 The one who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

but the one who walks in wisdom will escape.

28:27 The one who gives to the poor will not lack,

but whoever shuts his eyes to them will receive many curses.

28:28 When the wicked gain control, people hide themselves,

but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Lamentations 2:9

ט (Tet)

2:9 Her city gates have fallen to the ground;

he smashed to bits the bars that lock her gates.

Her king and princes were taken into exile;

there is no more guidance available.

As for her prophets,

they no longer receive a vision from the Lord.

Ezekiel 20:1-3

Israel’s Rebellion

20:1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to seek the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 20:2 The word of the Lord came to me: 20:3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, declares the sovereign Lord.’

John 9:31

9:31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will, God listens to him.

James 4:3

4:3 you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.