Proverbs 16–18; Romans 15

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Proverbs 16–18

The plans of the heart belong to man,

but lthe answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

mAll the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the Lord nweighs the spirit.1

oCommit your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.

pThe Lord has made everything for its purpose,

even qthe wicked for the day of trouble.

Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ran abomination to the Lord;

sbe assured, he will not go unpunished.

By tsteadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,

and by uthe fear of the Lord one vturns away from evil.

When a man’s ways please the Lord,

whe makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

xBetter is a little with righteousness

than great revenues with injustice.

yThe heart of man plans his way,

but zthe Lord establishes his steps.

10  aAn oracle is on the lips of a king;

his mouth does not sin in judgment.

11  bA just balance and scales are the Lord’s;

all the weights in the bag are his work.

12  It is an abomination to kings to do evil,

for cthe throne is established by righteousness.

13  dRighteous lips are the delight of a king,

and he loves him who speaks what is right.

14  eA king’s wrath is a messenger of death,

and a wise man will fappease it.

15  gIn the light of a king’s face there is life,

and his dfavor is like hthe clouds that bring the spring rain.

16  iHow much better to get wisdom than jgold!

To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ksilver.

17  The highway of the upright lturns aside from evil;

whoever guards his way preserves his life.

18  mPride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19  nIt is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor

than to odivide the spoil with the proud.

20  Whoever gives thought to the word2 pwill discover good,

and blessed is he qwho trusts in the Lord.

21  The wise of heart is called discerning,

and sweetness of speech rincreases persuasiveness.

22  Good sense is sa fountain of life to him who has it,

but the instruction of fools is folly.

23  tThe heart of the wise makes his speech judicious

and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

24  uGracious words are like va honeycomb,

sweetness to the soul and whealth to the body.

25  There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end is the way to death.3

26  A worker’s appetite works for him;

his xmouth urges him on.

27  yA worthless man plots evil,

and his speech4 is like za scorching fire.

28  aA dishonest man spreads strife,

and ba whisperer cseparates close friends.

29  A man of violence dentices his neighbor

and leads him in a way that is not good.

30  Whoever winks his eyes plans5 edishonest things;

he who fpurses his lips brings evil to pass.

31  gGray hair is ha crown of glory;

it iis gained in a righteous life.

32  jWhoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33  kThe lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is lfrom the Lord.

mBetter is a dry morsel with quiet

than a house full of feasting6 with strife.

A servant who deals wisely will rule over na son who acts shamefully

and owill share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

pThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

qand the Lord tests hearts.

An evildoer listens to wicked lips,

and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

Whoever mocks the poor rinsults his Maker;

he who is sglad at calamity will not go tunpunished.

uGrandchildren are vthe crown of the aged,

and the glory of children is their fathers.

Fine speech is not wbecoming to a fool;

still less is xfalse speech to a prince.

yA bribe is like a magic7 stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;

wherever he turns he prospers.

Whoever zcovers an offense seeks love,

but he who repeats a matter aseparates close friends.

10  A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding

than a hundred blows into a fool.

11  An evil man seeks only rebellion,

and ba cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12  Let a man meet ca she-bear robbed of her cubs

drather than a fool in his folly.

13  If anyone ereturns evil for good,

fevil will not depart from his house.

14  The beginning of strife is like letting out water,

so gquit before the quarrel breaks out.

15  He who hjustifies the wicked and he who icondemns the righteous

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

16  Why should a fool have money in his hand jto buy wisdom

when he has no sense?

17  kA friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

18  One who lacks sense gives a pledge

and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.

19  Whoever loves transgression loves strife;

he who lmakes his door high seeks destruction.

20  mA man of crooked heart does not discover good,

and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.

21  He who nsires a fool gets himself sorrow,

and the father of a fool has no joy.

22  oA joyful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit pdries up the bones.

23  The wicked accepts qa bribe in secret8

to rpervert the ways of justice.

24  sThe discerning sets his face toward wisdom,

but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25  nA foolish son is a grief to his father

tand bitterness to uher who bore him.

26  vTo impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,

nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

27  Whoever wrestrains his words has knowledge,

and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28  Even a fool xwho keeps silent is considered wise;

when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Whoever yisolates himself seeks his own desire;

he breaks out against all sound judgment.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only zin expressing his opinion.

When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,

and with dishonor comes disgrace.

The words of a man’s mouth are adeep waters;

the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

It is not good to bbe partial to9 the wicked

or to cdeprive the righteous of justice.

A fool’s lips walk into a fight,

and his mouth invites da beating.

eA fool’s mouth is his ruin,

and his lips are a snare to his soul.

fThe words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into gthe inner parts of the body.

Whoever is slack in his work

is a hbrother to him who destroys.

10  iThe name of the Lord is ja strong tower;

the righteous man runs into it and kis safe.

11  lA rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

and like a high wall in his imagination.

12  mBefore destruction a man’s heart is haughty,

but nhumility comes before honor.

13  If one gives an answer obefore he hears,

it is his folly and shame.

14  A man’s spirit will endure sickness,

but pa crushed spirit who can bear?

15  An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,

and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

16  A man’s qgift makes room for him

and brings him before the great.

17  The one who states his case first seems right,

until the other comes and examines him.

18  rThe lot puts an end to quarrels

and decides between powerful contenders.

19  A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,

and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

20  sFrom the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;

he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.

21  tDeath and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits.

22  He who finds ua wife finds va good thing

and wobtains favor xfrom the Lord.

23  The poor use entreaties,

but ythe rich answer roughly.

24  A man of many companions may come to ruin,

but zthere is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.


Romans 15

The Example of Christ

sWe who are strong thave an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. uLet each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For vChrist did not please himself, but as it is written, wThe reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. For xwhatever was written in former days was written for our yinstruction, that through endurance and through zthe encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you ato live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify bthe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

For I tell you that Christ cbecame a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order dto confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order ethat the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

fTherefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,

and sing to your name.

10 And again it is said,

gRejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.

11 And again,

hPraise the Lord, all you Gentiles,

and let all the peoples extol him.

12 And again Isaiah says,

ijThe root of Jesse will come,

even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;

kin him will the Gentiles hope.

13 May the God of hope fill you with all ljoy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 mI myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with nall knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, obecause of the grace given me by God 16 to be pa minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles qin the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that rthe offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have sreason to be proud of tmy work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except uwhat Christ has accomplished through me vto bring the Gentiles to obedienceby word and deed, 19 wby the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of Godso that xfrom Jerusalem and all the way around yto Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, zlest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written,

aThose who have never been told of him will see,

and those who have never heard will understand.

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

22 This is the reason why bI have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and csince I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go dto Spain, and eto be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, fI am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For gMacedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed hthey owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave ifor Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ.

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by jthe love of the Spirit, kto strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 lthat I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that mmy service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and nbe refreshed in your company. 33 May othe God of peace be with you all. Amen.