Thursday, 12 September

1.   A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. 2.   A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. 3.   He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. 4.   The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. 5.   A righteous man hates lying, But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame. 6.   Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner. 7.   There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. 8.   The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, But the poor does not hear rebuke. 9.   The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked will be put out. 10.   By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well–advised is wisdom. 11.   Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase. 12.   Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. 13.   He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded. 14.   The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death. 15.   Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard. 16.   Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly. 17.   A wicked messenger falls into trouble, But a faithful ambassador brings health. 18.   Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored. 19.   A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. 20.   He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. 21.   Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid. 22.   A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. 23.   Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, And for lack of justice there is waste. 24.   He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. 25.   The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.

1.   The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands. 2.   He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him. 3.   In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them. 4.   Where no oxen are , the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. 5.   A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies. 6.   A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it , But knowledge is easy to him who understands. 7.   Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. 8.   The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit. 9.   Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor. 10.   The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy. 11.   The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish. 12.   There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 13.   Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief. 14.   The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above. 15.   The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps. 16.   A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self–confident. 17.   A quick–tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated. 18.   The simple inherit folly, But the prudent are crowned with knowledge. 19.   The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 20.   The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends. 21.   He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. 22.   Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good. 23.   In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty. 24.   The crown of the wise is their riches, But the foolishness of fools is folly. 25.   A true witness delivers souls, But a deceitful witness speaks lies. 26.   In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. 27.   The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death. 28.   In a multitude of people is a king’s honor, But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince. 29.   He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly. 30.   A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones. 31.   He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy. 32.   The wicked is banished in his wickedness, But the righteous has a refuge in his death. 33.   Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known. 34.   Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people. 35.   The king’s favor is toward a wise servant, But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

1.   A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2.   The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 3.   The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4.   A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5.   A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent. 6.   In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble. 7.   The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so. 8.   The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9.   The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who follows righteousness. 10.   Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die. 11.   Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men. 12.   A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, Nor will he go to the wise. 13.   A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 14.   The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. 15.   All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. 16.   Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble. 17.   Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred. 18.   A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention. 19.   The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway. 20.   A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. 21.   Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly. 22.   Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. 23.   A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is ! 24.   The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below. 25.   The LORD will destroy the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. 26.   The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant. 27.   He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28.   The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. 29.   The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. 30.   The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. 31.   The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. 32.   He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. 33.   The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.

1.   Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2.   Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3.   And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4.   So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way . 5.   And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6.   So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7.   But when they saw it , they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." 8.   Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." 9.   And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10.   "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 11.   Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12.   Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13.   "So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14.   "But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ 15.   "And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16.   "Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ 17.   "And he said to him, ‘Well done , good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ 18.   "And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 19.   "Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’ 20.   "Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21.   ‘For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22.   "And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23.   ‘Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24.   "And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ 25.   ("But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) 26.   ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27.   ‘But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’"