The Enticement of Sinners
8 Hear, my son, your mfather’s ninstruction,
and oforsake not pyour mother’s teaching,
9 for they are a qgraceful garland for your head
and pendants rfor your neck.
10 My son, if sinners sentice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us tlie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
and whole, like uthose who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
15 vmy son, do not wwalk in the way with them;
xhold back your foot from their paths,
16 for ytheir feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
they set an ambush for their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who is zgreedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 aWisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools bhate knowledge?
23 If you cturn at my reproof,1
behold, I will dpour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 eBecause I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have fignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will glaugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my hcounsel
and idespised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall jeat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the ksimple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, lwithout dread of disaster.”
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles1 off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, ushe went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, vif you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection won the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, x“I am the resurrection and the ylife.2 zWhoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me ashall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the bSon of God, who is coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The cTeacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, dif you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved3 in his spirit and greatly etroubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he fwho opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
