Today's Reading

¹It happened on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, with all its furniture, and the altar with all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them;

²that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes. These are they who were over those who were numbered:

³and they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle.

⁴The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

⁵"Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the service of the Tent of Meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service."

⁶Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites.

⁷He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their service:

⁸and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

⁹But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged to them; they carried it on their shoulders.

¹⁰The princes gave offerings for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes gave their offerings before the altar.

¹¹The Lord said to Moses, "They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar."

¹²He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah,

¹³and his offering was: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

¹⁴one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

¹⁵one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

¹⁶one male goat for a sin offering;

¹⁷and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

¹⁸On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, gave his offering.

¹⁹He offered for his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

²⁰one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

²¹one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

²²one male goat for a sin offering;

²³and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

²⁴On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun

²⁵gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

²⁶one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

²⁷one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

²⁸one male goat for a sin offering;

²⁹and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

³⁰On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben

³¹gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

³²one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

³³one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

³⁴one male goat for a sin offering;

³⁵and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

³⁶On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon

³⁷gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

³⁸one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

³⁹one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

⁴⁰one male goat for a sin offering;

⁴¹and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

⁴²On the sixth day, Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad

⁴³gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

⁴⁴one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁴⁵one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

⁴⁶one male goat for a sin offering;

⁴⁷and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

⁴⁸On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim

⁴⁹gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

⁵⁰one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁵¹one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

⁵²one male goat for a sin offering;

⁵³and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

⁵⁴On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh

⁵⁵gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

⁵⁶one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁵⁷one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

⁵⁸one male goat for a sin offering;

⁵⁹and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

⁶⁰On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin

⁶¹gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

⁶²one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁶³one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

⁶⁴one male goat for a sin offering;

⁶⁵and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

⁶⁶On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan

⁶⁷gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

⁶⁸one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁶⁹one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

⁷⁰one male goat for a sin offering;

⁷¹and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

⁷²On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, prince of the children of Asher

⁷³gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

⁷⁴one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁷⁵one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

⁷⁶one male goat for a sin offering;

⁷⁷and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

⁷⁸On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali

⁷⁹gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

⁸⁰one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁸¹one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;

⁸²one male goat for a sin offering;

⁸³and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

⁸⁴This was the dedication of the altar, on the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, twelve golden ladles;

⁸⁵each silver platter weighing one hundred thirty shekels, and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the vessels two thousand four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary;

⁸⁶the twelve golden ladles, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the ladles weighed one hundred twenty shekels;

⁸⁷all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs a year old twelve, and their meal offering; and the male goats for a sin offering twelve;

⁸⁸and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after it was anointed.

⁸⁹When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard his voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim: and he spoke to him.

¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Speak to Aaron, and tell him, 'When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the menorah.'"

³Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the menorah, as the Lord commanded Moses.

⁴This was the workmanship of the menorah, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work: according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the menorah.

⁵The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

⁶"Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

⁷You shall do this to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

⁸Then let them take a young bull, and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.

⁹You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

¹⁰You shall present the Levites before the Lord. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,

¹¹and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the Lord.

¹²The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.

¹³You shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.

¹⁴Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

¹⁵"After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

¹⁶For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

¹⁷For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.

¹⁸I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

¹⁹I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary."

²⁰Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

²¹The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the Lord; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

²²After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron, and before his sons: as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

²³The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

²⁴"This is that which belongs to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

²⁵and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting on the work, and shall serve no more,

²⁶but shall minister with their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall do no service. You shall do thus to the Levites concerning their duties."

¹The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

²"Moreover let the children of Israel keep the Passover in its appointed season.

³On the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you shall keep it in its appointed season-according to all its statutes, and according to all its ordinances, you shall keep it."

⁴Moses spoke to the children of Israel, that they should keep the Passover.

⁵They kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

⁶There were certain men, who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.

⁷Those men said to him, "We are unclean because of the dead body of a man. Why are we kept back, that we may not offer the offering of the Lord in its appointed season among the children of Israel?"

⁸Moses answered them, "Wait, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you."

⁹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¹⁰"Say to the children of Israel, 'If any man of you or of your generations is unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a journey far away, he shall still keep the Passover to the Lord.

¹¹In the second month, on the fourteenth day at evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

¹²They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it. According to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep it.

¹³But the man who is clean, and is not on a journey, and fails to keep the Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people. Because he did not offer the offering of the Lord in its appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

¹⁴If a foreigner lives among you, and desires to keep the Passover to the Lord; according to the statute of the Passover, and according to its ordinance, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the foreigner, and for him who is born in the land.'"

¹⁵On the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the Tent of the Testimony: and at evening it was over the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until morning.

¹⁶So it was continually. The cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.

¹⁷Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel traveled; and in the place where the cloud remained, there the children of Israel encamped.

¹⁸At the commandment of the Lord, the children of Israel traveled, and at the commandment of the Lord they encamped. As long as the cloud remained on the tabernacle they remained encamped.

¹⁹When the cloud stayed on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the Lord's command, and did not travel.

²⁰Sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of the Lord they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of the Lord they traveled.

²¹Sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled: or by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they traveled.

²²Whether it was two days, or a month, or a year that the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, remaining on it, the children of Israel remained encamped, and did not travel; but when it was taken up, they traveled.

²³At the commandment of the Lord they encamped, and at the commandment of the Lord they traveled. They kept the Lord's command, at the commandment of the Lord by Moses.

¹It was now two days before the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by deception, and kill him.

²For they said, "Not during the feast, because there might be a riot of the people."

³While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard-very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head.

⁴But there were some who were indignant among themselves, "Why has this ointment been wasted?

⁵For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor." They grumbled against her.

⁶But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me.

⁷For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.

⁸She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying.

⁹Truly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her."

¹⁰Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might deliver him to them.

¹¹They, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. He sought how he might conveniently deliver him.

¹²On the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover, his disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make ready that you may eat the Passover?"

¹³He sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and there you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him,

¹⁴and wherever he enters in, tell the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'

¹⁵He will himself show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make ready for us there."

¹⁶The disciples went out, and came into the city, and found things as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷When it was evening he came with the twelve.

¹⁸As they sat and were eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me-he who eats with me."

¹⁹They began to be sorrowful, and to ask him one by one, "Surely not I?"

²⁰He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish.

²¹For the Son of Man goes, even as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born."

²²As they were eating, he took bread, and when he had blessed, he broke it, and gave to them, and said, "Take; this is my body."

²³He took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them. They all drank of it.

²⁴He said to them, "This is my blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many.

²⁵Truly I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew in the Kingdom of God."

²⁶When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

²⁷Jesus said to them, "All of you will fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'

²⁸However, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."

²⁹But Peter said to him, "Although all will be offended, yet I will not."

³⁰Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, that you today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."

³¹But he insisted, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." They all said the same thing.

³²They came to a place which was named Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I pray."

³³He took with him Peter, Jacob, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed.

³⁴He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch."

³⁵He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him.

³⁶He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire, but what you desire."

³⁷He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could not you watch one hour?

³⁸Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

³⁹Again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words.

⁴⁰Again he came and found them sleeping again, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him.

⁴¹He came the third time, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴²Arise, let us be going. Behold, he who betrays me is near."

⁴³Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came-and with him a multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.

⁴⁴Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I will kiss, that is he. Seize him, and lead him away safely."

⁴⁵When he had come, immediately he came to him, and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him.

⁴⁶They laid hands on him, and seized him.

⁴⁷But a certain one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸Jesus answered them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me?

⁴⁹I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this is so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled."

⁵⁰They all left him, and fled.

⁵¹And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth thrown around himself, over his naked body. And they grabbed him,

⁵²but he left the linen cloth, and fled naked.

⁵³They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes came together.

⁵⁴Peter had followed him from a distance, until he came into the court of the high priest. He was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire.

⁵⁵Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none.

⁵⁶For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree with each other.

⁵⁷Some stood up, and gave false testimony against him, saying,

⁵⁸"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'"

⁵⁹Even so, their testimony did not agree.

⁶⁰The high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?"

⁶¹But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"

⁶²Jesus said, "I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky."

⁶³The high priest tore his clothes, and said, "What further need have we of witnesses?

⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" They all condemned him to be worthy of death.

⁶⁵Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, "Prophesy!" The officers struck him with the palms of their hands.

⁶⁶As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came,

⁶⁷and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, "You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus!"

⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, "I neither know, nor understand what you are saying." He went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

⁶⁹The maid saw him, and began again to tell those who stood by, "This is one of them."

⁷⁰But he again denied it. After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, "You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean."

⁷¹But he began to curse, and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak!"

⁷²And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the word, how that Jesus said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." When he thought about that, he wept.

¹ As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.

²My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

³My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, "Where is your God?"

⁴These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.

⁵Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence.

⁶My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar.

⁷Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.

⁸The Lord will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹I will ask God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"

¹⁰As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, "Where is your God?"

¹¹Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.

¹A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but accurate weights are his delight.

²When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility comes wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

⁴Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

⁵The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way, but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.

⁷When a wicked man dies, hope perishes, and expectation of power comes to nothing.

⁸A righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked takes his place.

⁹With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.

¹⁰When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. When the wicked perish, there is shouting.

¹¹By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

¹²One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace.

¹³One who brings gossip betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret.

¹⁴Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.

¹⁵He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it, but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.

¹⁶A gracious woman obtains honor, but violent men obtain riches.

¹⁷The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

¹⁸Wicked people earn deceitful wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

¹⁹He who is truly righteous gets life. He who pursues evil gets death.

²⁰Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those whose ways are blameless are his delight.

²¹Most certainly, the evil man will not be unpunished, but the seed of the righteous will be delivered.

²²Like a gold ring in a pig's snout, is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous is only good. The expectation of the wicked is wrath.

²⁴There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.

²⁵The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.

²⁶People curse someone who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

²⁷He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come to him.

²⁸He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.

²⁹He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind. The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls.

³¹Behold, the righteous shall be repaid in the earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner!