The Berean Pursuit
Does not wisdom call out,
and understanding raise her voice?
On the heights overlooking the road,
at the crossroads she takes her stand.
Beside the gates to the city,
at the entrances she cries out:
"To you, O men, I call out,
and my cry is to the sons of men.
O simple ones, learn to be shrewd;
O fools, gain understanding.
Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and the opening of my lips will reveal right.
For my mouth will speak the truth,
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are righteous;
none are crooked or perverse.
They are all plain to the discerning,
and upright to those who find knowledge.
Receive my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
For wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire compares with her.
I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight and strength.
By me kings reign,
and rulers enact just laws;
By me princes rule,
and all nobles who govern justly.
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me early shall find me.
With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, pure gold,
and my harvest surpasses choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
bestowing wealth on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.
The LORD created me as His first course,
before His works of old.
From everlasting I was established,
from the beginning, before the earth began.
When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth,
when no springs were overflowing with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
before He made the land or fields,
or any of the dust of the earth.
I was there when He established the heavens,
when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
when He established the clouds above,
when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,
when He set a boundary for the sea,
so that the waters would not surpass His command,
when He marked out the foundations of the earth.
Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side,
and His delight day by day,
rejoicing always in His presence.
I was rejoicing in His whole world,
delighting together in the sons of men.
Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
for blessed are those who keep my ways.
Listen to instruction and be wise;
do not ignore it.
Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at the posts of my doorway.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains the favor of the LORD.
But he who fails to find me harms himself;
all who hate me love death."
Wisdom has built her house;
she has carved out her seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her maidservants;
she calls out from the heights of the city.
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!"
she says to him who lacks judgment.
"Come, eat my bread
and drink the wine I have mixed.
Leave your folly behind, and you will live;
walk in the way of understanding."
He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself;
he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself.
Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
For through wisdom your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage;
but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences.
The woman named Folly is loud;
she is naive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat in the heights of the city,
calling out to those who pass by,
who make their paths straight.
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!"
she says to him who lacks judgment.
"Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is tasty!"
But they do not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing,
but righteousness brings deliverance from death.
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry,
but He denies the craving of the wicked.
Idle hands make one poor,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
He who gathers in summer is a wise son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
A wise heart will receive commandments,
but foolish lips will come to ruin.
He who walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who perverts his ways will be found out.
He who winks the eye causes grief,
and foolish lips will come to ruin.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Hatred stirs up dissension,
but love covers all transgressions.
Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.
The wise store up knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool invites destruction.
The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city,
but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
The labor of the righteous leads to life,
but the gain of the wicked brings punishment.
Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
but he who ignores reproof goes astray.
The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
When words are many, sin is unavoidable,
but he who restrains his lips is wise.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
but the heart of the wicked has little worth.
The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of judgment.
The blessing of the LORD enriches,
and He adds no sorrow to it.
The fool delights in shameful conduct,
but a man of understanding has wisdom.
What the wicked man dreads will overtake him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more,
but the righteous are secure forever.
Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so is the slacker to those who send him.
The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
but the years of the wicked will be cut short.
The hope of the righteous is joy,
but the expectations of the wicked will perish.
The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright,
but destruction awaits those who do evil.
The righteous will never be shaken,
but the wicked will not inhabit the land.
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
The lips of the righteous know what is fitting,
but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
Of David.
Blessed be the LORD, my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
He is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer.
He is my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
O LORD, what is man, that You regard him,
the son of man that You think of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.
Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down;
touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them;
shoot Your arrows and rout them.
Reach down from on high;
set me free and rescue me
from the deep waters,
from the grasp of foreigners,
whose mouths speak falsehood,
whose right hands are deceitful.
I will sing to You a new song, O God;
on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You-
to Him who gives victory to kings,
who frees His servant David from the deadly sword.
Set me free and rescue me
from the grasp of foreigners,
whose mouths speak falsehood,
whose right hands are deceitful.
Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters like corner pillars
carved to adorn a palace.
Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all manner of produce;
our flocks will bring forth thousands,
tens of thousands in our fields.
Our oxen will bear great loads.
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,
and no cry of lament in our streets.
Blessed are the people of whom this is so;
blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.
We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one's gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written: "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord."
On the contrary,
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him a drink.
For in so doing,
you will heap burning coals on his head."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.