The Berean Pursuit

Balances of deceit are an abomination of Yahweh,
    but an accurate weight delights him.
Pride comes, then disgrace comes,
    but wisdom is with the humble.
The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
Wealth does not profit on the day of wrath,
    but righteousness will deliver from death.
The righteousness of the blameless will keep his ways straight,
    but the wicked will fall by his wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright will save them,
    but by a scheme the treacherous will be taken captive.
With the death of a wicked person, hope will die,
    and the expectation of the godless perishes.
The righteous is delivered from trouble,
    but the wicked enters into it.
With a mouth, the godless shall destroy his neighbor,
    but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
When good is with the righteous, the city rejoices,
    and with the perishing of the wicked, jubilation.
By the blessing of the upright, a city will be exalted,
    but by the mouth of the wicked, it will be overthrown.
He who lacks sense belittles his neighbor,
    but a person of intelligence will remain silent.
A gossip walks about telling a secret,
    but the trustworthy in spirit keeps the matter.
Where there is no guidance, a nation shall fall,
    but there is safety in an abundance of counsel.
He will suffer trouble when he loans to a stranger,
    but he who refuses a pledge is safe.
A woman of grace receives honor,
    but the ruthless gets wealth.
A person of kindness rewards himself,
    but a cruel person harms his own flesh.
The wicked earns deceptive gain,
    but he who sows righteousness, a true reward.
He who is steadfast in righteousness is to life
    as he who pursues evil is to death.
An abomination of Yahweh are the crooked of heart,
    but his delight are those with blameless ways.
Rest assured, the wicked will not go unpunished,
    but the offspring of the righteous will escape.
A ring of gold in the snout of a pig
    is a woman who is beautiful but without discretion.
The desire of the righteous is only good,
    but the expectation of the wicked, wrath.
There is one who gives yet grows richer,
    but he who withholds what is right only finds need.
A person of blessing will be enriched,
    and he who gives water also will be refreshed.
He who withholds grain, the people curse him,
    but a blessing is for the head of him who sells.
He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
    but he who inquires of evil, it will come to him.
He who trusts in his wealth is he who will fall,
    but like a green leaf the righteous will flourish.
He who brings trouble to his household, he will inherit wind,
    and a fool will serve the wise of heart.
The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life,
    and he who captures souls is wise.
If the righteous on earth will be repaid,
    how much more the wicked and sinner.

He who loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who hates rebuke is stupid.
The good obtains favor from Yahweh,
    but anyone who schemes, he condemns.
A person will not be established by wickedness,
    but the root of the righteous will not be moved.
A woman of strength is the crown of her master,
    but like rot in his bones is she who brings shame.
The thoughts of the righteous are just;
    the advice of the wicked is treacherous.
The words of the wicked are an ambush of blood,
    but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
    but the house of the righteous shall stand.
For his mouth of good sense, a man will be recommended,
    but he who is of perverse mind will be despised.
It is better to be lowly and a servant to someone
    than self-glorifying and lacking food.
The righteous knows the life of his animal,
    but the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
He who works his land will have plenty of food,
    but he who follows worthless things lacks sense.
The wicked covets the proceeds of evil,
    but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
By the transgression of lips, evil is ensnared,
    but the righteous escapes from trouble.
From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he is filled with good,
    and the reward of a man’s labor will return to him.
The way of a fool is upright in his own eyes,
    but he who listens to advice is wise.
As for a fool, on that very day he makes his anger known,
    but he who ignores an insult is prudent.
He who will speak truth will reveal righteousness,
    but the witness of falsehood, deceit.
There is one who speaks rashly, like the thrust of a sword,
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
A lip of truth endures forever,
    but a tongue of deception lasts only a moment.
Deceit is in the heart of those who plan evil,
    but to those who plan peace, there is joy.
No evil will happen to the righteous,
    but the wicked are filled with trouble.
An abomination of Yahweh are lips of deceit,
    but they who act faithfully are his delight.
A clever person conceals knowledge,
    but the heart of a fool announces folly.
The hand of the diligent ones will rule,
    but the lazy will belong to forced labor.
Anxiety in the heart of a man will weigh him down,
    but a good word will cheer him.
A righteous person will seek out his neighbor,
    but the way of the wicked will lead them astray.
The lazy will not roast his game,
    but diligence is the precious wealth of a man.
On the road of righteousness is life,
    and on the way of the path, may there be no death.

A wise child hears the discipline of a father,
    but a scoffer does not listen to a rebuke.
From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he shall eat what is good,
    but the desire of the treacherous, wrongdoing.
He who keeps his mouth guards his life;
    he who opens his lips, ruin belongs to him.
The soul of the lazy craves, but there is nothing,
    but the person of diligence is richly supplied.
The righteous hates a word of falsehood;
    the wicked will bring shame and disgrace.
Righteousness will guard the upright of way,
    but wickedness will overthrow sin.
There is one who acts rich but has nothing;
    another who pretends to be poor but has wealth.
The ransom of the life of a man is his wealth,
    but the poor does not receive a threat.
The light of the righteous will rejoice,
    but the lamp of the wicked will die out.
Only by insolence is strife set up,
    and wisdom is with those who take advice.
Wealth gained from haste will dwindle,
    but he who gathers little by little will increase it.
Hope that is deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
He who despises a word will bring destruction on himself,
    but he who respects a commandment will be rewarded.
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
    in order to avoid the snares of death.
Good sense grants favor,
    but the way of the faithless is coarse.
Anyone who is clever will act with intelligence,
    but the fool will display folly.
A messenger of wickedness will fall into trouble,
    but an envoy of the faithful brings healing.
Poverty and disgrace belong to him who ignores instruction,
    but he who guards reproof will be honored.
A desire fulfilled will be sweet to the soul,
    but an abomination of fools is turning from evil.
Walk with the wise and be wise,
    but as for the companion of fools, he will suffer harm.
Misfortune will pursue sinners,
    but the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.
He who is good will leave an inheritance to his grandchildren,
    and stored up for the righteous is the wealth of a sinner.
There is much food in the field of the poor,
    but it is swept away by injustice.
He who withholds his rod hates his child,
    but he who loves him gives him discipline.
The righteous eats to satisfy his life,
    but the belly of the wicked will lack.

Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,
who put your splendor above the heavens.
From the mouth of children and infants you have founded strength
on account of your enemies,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
what is a human being that you think of him?
and a child of humankind that you care for him?
And you made him a little lower than heavenly beings,
and with glory and with majesty you crowned him.
You make him over the works of your hands;
all things you have placed under his feet:
sheep and cattle, all of them,
and also the wild animals of the field,
the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,
everything that passes along the paths of seas.
Yahweh, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all of the earth!