The Book of PROVERBS - Chapter Three

 

1

My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but keep my commands in your heart,

2 

for they will prolong your life many years
    and bring you peace and prosperity.

3 

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them round your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 

Then you will win favour and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.

5 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

6 

in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

7 

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.

8 

This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.

9 

Honour the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10 

then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
    and your vats will brim over with new wine.

11 

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not resent his rebuke,

12 

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    as a father the son he delights in.

13 

Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,

14 

for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.

15 

She is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 

Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honour.

17 

Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.

18 

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.

19 

By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
    by understanding he set the heavens in place;

20 

by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
    and the clouds let drop the dew.

21 

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;

22 

they will be life for you,
    an ornament to grace your neck.

23 

Then you will go on your way in safety,
    and your foot will not stumble.

24 

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 

Have no fear of sudden disaster
    or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

26 

for the Lord will be at your side
    and will keep your foot from being snared.

27 

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.

28 

Do not say to your neighbour,
    ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’–
    when you already have it with you.

29 

Do not plot harm against your neighbour,
    who lives trustfully near you.

30 

Do not accuse anyone for no reason –
    when they have done you no harm.

31 

Do not envy the violent
    or choose any of their ways.

32 

For the Lord detests the perverse
    but takes the upright into his confidence.

33 

The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the home of the righteous.

34 

He mocks proud mockers
    but shows favour to the humble and oppressed.

35 

The wise inherit honour,
    but fools get only shame.

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READINGS

The Book of PROVERBS Chapter Three

Read by David Suchet

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OVERVIEW 

The Book of PROVERBS 

Overview

(The Bible Project) 

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STUDIES 

The book of proverbs 

David Pawson

Part 1 

Part 2

 

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The Book of PROVERBS - Chapter Two

 

The Book of PROVERBS 

Overview

(The Bible Project) 

1 

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,

2 

turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding –

3 

indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,

4 

and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5 

then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.

6 

For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 

He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose way of life is blameless,

8 

for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 

Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair – every good path.

10 

For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 

Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.

12 

Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,

13 

who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,

14 

who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

15 

whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.

16 

Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,

17 

who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.

18 

Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

19 

None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.

20 

Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 

For the upright will live in the land,
    and the blameless will remain in it;

22 

but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

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READINGS

The Book of PROVERBS Chapter Two

Read by David Suchet

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OVERVIEW 

The Book of PROVERBS 

Overview

(The Bible Project) 

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STUDIES 

The book of proverbs 

David Pawson

Part 1  

Part 2 

 

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The Book of PROVERBS - Chapter One

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

2 

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;

3 

for receiving instruction in prudent behaviour,
    doing what is right and just and fair;

4 

for giving prudence to those who are simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the young –

5 

let the wise listen and add to their learning,
    and let the discerning get guidance –

6 

for understanding proverbs and parables,
    the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Prologue: exhortations to embrace wisdom

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8 

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

9 

They are a garland to grace your head
    and a chain to adorn your neck.

10 

My son, if sinful men entice you,
    do not give in to them.

11 

If they say, ‘Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;

12 

let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13 

we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;

14 

cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot’–

15 

my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot on their paths;

16 

for their feet rush into evil,
    they are swift to shed blood.

17 

How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!

18 

These men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!

19 

Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.

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20 

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;

21 

on top of the wall she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 

‘How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?

23 

Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.

24 

But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

25 

since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,

26 

I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you –

27 

when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 

‘Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,

29 

since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.

30 

Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,

31 

they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32 

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33 

but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.’

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READINGS

The Book of PROVERBS 

Chapter One

Read by David Suchet 

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OVERVIEW 

The Book of PROVERBS 

Overview

(The Bible Project) 

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STUDIES 

The book of proverbs 

David Pawson

Part 1  

Part 2  

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Proverbs 1:7  

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JANUARY 2023 - READINGS

JANUARY 2023 -  READINGS

from the New International Version (UK)

The Second Letter of Paul to TIMOTHY Chapter Four

 

1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather round them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

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9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

16 At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus ill in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

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READINGS

2 Timothy Chapter Four

Read by David Suchet

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OVERVIEW 

The Second Letter of Paul to TIMOTHY

Overview

(The Bible Project) 

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The Second Letter of Paul to TIMOTHY Chapter Three

  

1 But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

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10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings – what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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READINGS

2 Timothy Chapter Three

Read by David Suchet

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When a Lover of Good Thinks About Evil - 2 Tim. 3:1-13

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OVERVIEW 

The Second Letter of Paul to TIMOTHY

Overview

(The Bible Project)  

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