Bible in 90 Days
God Saves, Idols Do Not
135 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord.
Praise him, you servants of the Lord.
2 Praise him, you who stand in the Lord’s Temple
and in the Temple courtyards.
3 Praise the Lord, because he is good.
Sing praises to him, because it is pleasant.
4 The Lord has chosen the people of Jacob for himself.
He has chosen the people of Israel for his very own.
5 I know that the Lord is great.
Our Lord is greater than all the gods.
6 The Lord does what he wants,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and the deep oceans.
7 He brings the clouds from the ends of the earth.
He sends the lightning with the rain.
He brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8 He destroyed the firstborn sons in Egypt,
the firstborn of both men and animals.
9 He did many signs and miracles in Egypt.
He did amazing things to the king and his servants.
10 He defeated many nations
and killed powerful kings:
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan
and all the kings of Canaan.
12 Then he gave their land as a gift.
It was a gift to his people, the Israelites.
13 Lord, your name is everlasting.
Lord, you will be remembered from now on.
14 You defend your people.
You have mercy on your servants.
15 The idols of other nations are made of silver and gold.
They are made by human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they cannot speak.
They have eyes, but they cannot see.
17 They have ears, but they cannot hear.
They have no breath in their mouths.
18 The people who make idols and trust them
are all like them.
19 Family of Israel, praise the Lord.
Family of Aaron, praise the Lord.
20 Family of Levi, praise the Lord.
You people who fear the Lord should praise him.
21 You people of Jerusalem, praise the Lord on Mount Zion.
Praise the Lord!
God’s Love Continues Forever
136 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good.
His love continues forever.
2 Give thanks to the God over all gods.
His love continues forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of all lords.
His love continues forever.
4 Only he can do great miracles.
His love continues forever.
5 With his wisdom he made the skies.
His love continues forever.
6 He spread out the earth on the seas.
His love continues forever.
7 He made the sun and the moon.
His love continues forever.
8 He made the sun to rule the day.
His love continues forever.
9 He made the moon and stars to rule the night.
His love continues forever.
10 He killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.
His love continues forever.
11 He brought the people of Israel out of Egypt.
His love continues forever.
12 He did it with his great power and strength.
His love continues forever.
13 He parted the water of the Red Sea.
His love continues forever.
14 He brought the Israelites through the middle of it.
His love continues forever.
15 But the king of Egypt and his army drowned in the Red Sea.
His love continues forever.
16 He led his people through the desert.
His love continues forever.
17 He defeated great kings.
His love continues forever.
18 He killed powerful kings.
His love continues forever.
19 He defeated Sihon king of the Amorites.
His love continues forever.
20 He defeated Og king of Bashan.
His love continues forever.
21 He gave their land as a gift.
His love continues forever.
22 It was a gift to his servants, the Israelites.
His love continues forever.
23 He remembered us when we were in trouble.
His love continues forever.
24 He freed us from our enemies.
His love continues forever.
25 He gives food to every living creature.
His love continues forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love continues forever.
Israelites in Captivity
137 By the rivers in Babylon we sat and cried
when we remembered Jerusalem.
2 On the poplar trees nearby
we hung our harps.
3 Those who captured us asked us to sing.
Our enemies wanted happy songs.
They said, “Sing us a Temple song from Jerusalem!”
4 But we cannot sing songs about the Lord
while we are in this foreign country!
5 Jerusalem, if I forget you,
let my right hand lose its skill.
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you.
Let these things happen if I do not think about Jerusalem
as my greatest joy.
7 Lord, remember what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
They said, “Tear it down!
Tear it down to its foundations!”
8 People of Babylon, you will be destroyed.
The people who pay you back will be happy.
They will punish you for what you did to us.
9 They will grab your babies
and throw them against the rocks.
A Hymn of Thanksgiving
A song of David.
138 Lord, I will thank you with all my heart.
I will sing to you before the false gods.
2 I will bow down facing your holy Temple.
And I will thank you for your love and loyalty.
You have made your name and your word
greater than anything.
3 On the day I called to you, you answered me.
You made me strong and brave.
4 Lord, let all the kings of the earth praise you.
They have heard the words you speak.
5 They will sing about what the Lord has done
because the Lord’s glory is great.
6 Though the Lord is supreme
he takes care of those who are not proud.
But he stays away from those who are proud.
7 Lord, even when I have trouble all around me,
you will keep me alive.
When my enemies are angry,
you will reach down and save me by your power.
8 Lord, you do everything for me.
Lord, your love continues forever.
You made us. Do not leave us.
God Knows Everything
For the director of music. A song of David.
139 Lord, you have examined me.
You know all about me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know my thoughts before I think them.
3 You know where I go and where I lie down.
You know well everything I do.
4 Lord, even before I say a word,
you already know what I am going to say.
5 You are all around me—in front and in back.
You have put your hand on me.
6 Your knowledge is amazing to me.
It is more than I can understand.
7 Where can I go to get away from your Spirit?
Where can I run from you?
8 If I go up to the skies, you are there.
If I lie down where the dead are, you are there.
9 If I rise with the sun in the east,
and settle in the west beyond the sea,
10 even there you would guide me.
With your right hand you would hold me.
11 I could say, “The darkness will hide me.
The light around me will turn into night.”
12 But even the darkness is not dark to you.
The night is as light as the day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
13 You made my whole being.
You formed me in my mother’s body.
14 I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.
What you have done is wonderful.
I know this very well.
15 You saw my bones being formed
as I took shape in my mother’s body.
When I was put together there,
16 you saw my body as it was formed.
All the days planned for me
were written in your book
before I was one day old.
17 God, your thoughts are precious to me.
They are so many!
18 If I could count them,
they would be more than all the grains of sand.
When I wake up,
I am still with you.
19 God, I wish you would kill the wicked!
Get away from me, you murderers!
20 These men say evil things about you.
Your enemies use your name thoughtlessly.
21 Lord, I hate those who hate you.
I hate those who rise up against you.
22 I feel only hate for them.
They are my enemies.
23 God, examine me and know my heart.
Test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any bad thing in me.
Lead me in the way you set long ago.
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. A song of David.
140 Lord, rescue me from evil people.
Save me from cruel men.
2 They make evil plans.
They always start fights.
3 They make their tongues sharp as a snake’s.
Their words are like snake poison. Selah
4 Lord, guard me from the power of wicked people.
Save me from cruel men
who plan to trip me up.
5 Proud men have hidden a trap for me.
They have spread out a net beside the road.
They have set traps for me. Selah
6 I said to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Lord, listen to my prayer for help.
7 Lord God, my mighty savior,
you protect me in battle.
8 Lord, do not give the wicked what they want.
Don’t let their plans succeed,
or they will become proud. Selah
9 Those around me have planned trouble.
Now let it come to them.
10 Let burning coals fall on them.
Throw them into the fire
or into pits from which they cannot escape.
11 Don’t let liars settle in the land.
Let evil quickly hunt down cruel men.
12 I know the Lord will get justice for the poor.
He will defend the needy in court.
13 Good people will praise his name.
Honest people will live in his presence.
A Prayer Not to Sin
A song of David.
141 Lord, I call to you. Come quickly.
Listen to me when I call to you.
2 Let my prayer be like incense placed before you.
Let my praise be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, help me control my tongue.
Help me be careful about what I say.
4 Don’t let me want to do evil
or join others in doing wrong.
Don’t let me eat
with those who do evil.
5 If a good man punished me, that would be kind.
If he corrected me,
that would be like having perfumed oil on my head.
I shouldn’t refuse it.
But I pray against those who do evil.
6 Let their leaders be thrown down the cliffs.
Then people will know that I have spoken the truth:
7 “The ground is plowed and broken up.
In the same way, our bones have been scattered at the grave.”
8 Lord God, I look to you for help.
I trust in you. Don’t let me die.
9 Protect me from the traps they set for me
and from the net evil people have spread.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own pits.
And let me pass by safely.
A Prayer for Safety
A maskil of David when he was in the cave. A prayer.
142 I cry out to the Lord.
I pray to the Lord for mercy.
2 I pour out my problems to him.
I tell him my troubles.
3 When I am afraid,
you, Lord, know the way out.
In the path where I walk,
a trap is hidden for me.
4 Look around me and see.
No one cares about me.
I have no place of safety.
No one cares if I live.
5 Lord, I cry out to you.
I say, “You are my protection.
You are all I want in this life.”
6 Listen to my cry
because I am helpless.
Save me from those who are chasing me.
They are too strong for me.
7 Free me from my prison.
Then I will praise your name.
Then the good people will surround me
because you have taken care of me.
A Prayer Not to Be Killed
A song of David.
143 Lord, hear my prayer.
Listen to my cry for mercy.
Come to help me
because you are loyal and good.
2 Don’t judge me, your servant,
because no one alive is right before you.
3 My enemies are chasing me.
They have crushed me to the ground.
They have made me live in darkness
like those who are long dead.
4 I am afraid.
My courage is gone.
5 I remember what happened long ago.
I recall everything you have done.
I think about all you have made.
6 I lift my hands to you in prayer.
As a dry land needs rain, I thirst for you. Selah
7 Lord, answer me quickly.
I am getting weak.
Don’t turn away from me,
or I will be like those who are dead.
8 Tell me in the morning about your love.
I trust you.
Show me what I should do
because my prayers go up to you.
9 Lord, save me from my enemies.
I come to you for safety.
10 Teach me to do what you want,
because you are my God.
Let your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
11 Lord, let me live
so people will praise you.
In your goodness
save me from my troubles.
12 In your love defeat my enemies.
Destroy all those who trouble me
because I am your servant.
A Prayer for Victory
Of David.
144 Praise the Lord, my Rock.
He trains me for war.
He trains me for battle.
2 He gives me love and protects me like a strong, walled city.
He is my place of safety and my Savior.
He is my shield and my protection.
He helps me rule my people.
3 Lord, why is man important to you?
Why do you even think about a human being?
4 A man is like a breath.
His life is like a passing shadow.
5 Lord, tear open the sky and come down.
Touch the mountains so they will smoke.
6 Send the lightning and scatter my enemies.
Shoot your arrows and force them away.
7 Reach down from above.
Pull me out of this sea of enemies.
Rescue me from these foreigners.
8 They are liars.
They are dishonest.
9 God, I will sing a new song to you.
I will play to you on the ten-stringed harp.
10 You give victory to kings.
You save your servant David from cruel swords.
11 Save me, rescue me from these foreigners.
They are liars.
They are dishonest.
12 Let our sons in their youth
grow like strong trees.
Let our daughters be
like the decorated stones in the Temple.
13 Let our barns be filled
with crops of all kinds.
Let our sheep in the fields have
thousands and thousands of lambs.
14 Let our cattle be strong.
Let no one break in.
Let there be no war.
Let there be no screams in our streets.
15 Happy are those who are like this.
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
Praise to God the King
A song of praise. Of David.
145 I praise your greatness, my God the King.
I will praise you forever and ever.
2 I will praise you every day.
I will praise you forever and ever.
3 The Lord is great. He is worthy of our praise.
No one can understand how great he is.
4 Parents will tell their children what you have done.
They will retell your mighty acts,
5 wonderful majesty and glory.
And I will think about your miracles.
6 They will tell about the amazing things you do.
I will tell how great you are.
7 They will remember your great goodness.
They will sing about your fairness.
8 The Lord is kind and shows mercy.
He does not become angry quickly but is full of love.
9 The Lord is good to everyone.
He is merciful to all he has made.
10 Lord, everything you have made will praise you.
Those who belong to you will bless you.
11 They will tell about the glory of your kingdom.
They will speak about your power.
12 Then everyone will know what powerful things you do.
They will know about the glory and majesty of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom will continue forever.
And you will be King from now on.
The Lord will keep his promises.
With love he takes care of all he has made.
14 The Lord helps those who have been defeated.
He takes care of those who are in trouble.
15 All living things look to you for food.
And you give it to them at the right time.
16 You open your hand,
and you satisfy all living things.
17 Everything the Lord does is right.
With love he takes care of all he has made.
18 The Lord is close to everyone who prays to him,
to all who truly pray to him.
19 He gives those who fear him what they want.
He listens when they cry, and he saves them.
20 The Lord protects everyone who loves him.
But he will destroy the wicked.
21 I will praise the Lord.
Let everyone praise his holy name forever.
Praise God Who Helps the Weak
146 Praise the Lord!
My whole being, praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes
or other people, who cannot save you.
4 When people die, they are buried.
Then all of their plans come to an end.
5 Happy are those who are helped by the God of Jacob.
Their hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in it.
He remains loyal forever.
7 The Lord does what is fair for those who have been wronged.
He gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.
8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up people who are in trouble.
The Lord loves those who do right.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners.
He defends the orphans and widows.
But he overthrows the wicked.
10 The Lord will be King forever.
Jerusalem, your God is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!
Praise God Who Helps His People
147 Praise the Lord!
It is good to sing praises to our God.
It is good and pleasant to praise him.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem.
He brings back the scattered Israelites who were taken captive.
3 He heals the brokenhearted.
He bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the stars
and names each one.
5 Our Lord is great and very powerful.
There is no limit to what he knows.
6 The Lord defends those who are not proud.
But he throws the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing praises to the Lord.
Praise our God with harps.
8 He fills the sky with clouds.
He sends rain to the earth.
He makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives food to cattle
and to the little birds that call.
10 He is not pleased by the strength of a horse
or the power of a man.
11 The Lord is pleased with those who fear him,
with those who trust his love.
12 Jerusalem, praise the Lord.
Jerusalem, praise your God.
13 He makes your city gates strong.
He blesses the people inside.
14 He brings peace to your country.
He fills you with the finest grain.
15 He gives a command to the earth,
and it quickly obeys him.
16 He spreads the snow like wool.
He scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He throws down hail like rocks.
No one can stand the cold he sends.
18 Then he gives a command, and it melts.
He sends the breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He gave his word to Jacob.
He gave his laws and demands to Israel.
20 He didn’t do this for any other nation.
They don’t know his laws.
Praise the Lord!
The World Should Praise the Lord
148 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens.
Praise him high above the earth.
2 Praise him, all you angels.
Praise him, all you armies of heaven.
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, highest heavens
and you waters above the sky.
5 Let them praise the Lord
because they were created by his command.
6 He set them in place forever and ever.
He made a law that will never end.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth.
Praise him, you large sea animals and all the oceans.
8 Praise him, lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
and stormy winds that obey him.
9 Praise him, mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedar trees.
10 Praise him, you wild animals and all cattle,
small crawling animals and birds.
11 Praise him, you kings of the earth and all nations,
princes and all rulers of the earth.
12 Praise him, you young men and women,
old people and children.
13 Praise the Lord.
He alone is great.
He is greater than heaven and earth.
14 God has given his people a king.
He should be praised by all who belong to him.
He should be praised by the Israelites, the people closest to his heart.
Praise the Lord!
Praise the God of Israel
149 Praise the Lord!
Sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing his praise in the meeting of his people.
2 Let the Israelites be happy because of God, their Maker.
Let the people of Jerusalem rejoice because of their King.
3 They should praise him with dancing.
They should praise him with tambourines and harps.
4 The Lord is pleased with his people.
He saves those who are not proud.
5 Let those who worship him rejoice in his glory.
Let them sing for joy even in bed!
6 Let them shout his praise
with their two-edged swords in their hands.
7 They will punish the nations.
They will defeat the people.
8 They will put those kings in chains
and those important men in iron bands.
9 They will punish them as God has written.
God is honored by all who worship him.
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord with Music
150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his Temple.
Praise him in his mighty heaven.
2 Praise him for his strength.
Praise him for his greatness.
3 Praise him with trumpet blasts.
Praise him with harps and lyres.
4 Praise him with tambourines and dancing.
Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes.
5 Praise him with loud cymbals.
Praise him with crashing cymbals.
6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Why Proverbs Is Important
1 These are the wise words of Solomon son of David. Solomon was king of Israel.
2 They teach wisdom and self-control.
They give understanding.
3 They will teach you how to be wise and self-controlled.
They will teach you what is honest and fair and right.
4 They give the ability to think to those with little knowledge.
They give knowledge and good sense to the young.
5 Wise people should also listen to them and learn even more.
Even they can find good advice in these words.
6 Then they will be able to understand wise words and stories.
They will understand the words of wise men and their riddles.
7 Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord.
But foolish people hate wisdom and discipline.
Warnings Against Evil
8 My child, listen to your father’s teaching.
And do not forget your mother’s advice.
9 Their teaching will beautify your life.
It will be like flowers in your hair or a chain around your neck.
10 My child, sinners will try to lead you into sin.
But do not follow them.
11 They might say, “Come with us.
Let’s ambush and kill someone.
Let’s attack some harmless person just for fun.
12 Let’s swallow them alive, as death does.
Let’s swallow them whole, as the grave does.
13 We will take all kinds of valuable things.
We will fill our houses with what we steal.
14 Come join us,
and we will share with you what we steal.”
15 My child, do not go along with them.
Do not do what they do.
16 They run to do evil.
They are quick to kill.
17 It is useless to spread out a net
right where the birds can see it!
18 These men are setting their own trap.
They will only catch themselves!
19 All greedy people end up this way.
Greed takes away the life of the greedy person.
Wisdom Speaks
20 Wisdom is like a good woman who shouts in the street.
She raises her voice in the city squares.
21 She cries out in the noisy street.
She makes her speech at the city gates:
22 “You foolish people! How long do you want to stay foolish?
How long will you make fun of wisdom?
How long will you hate knowledge?
23 Listen when I correct you.
I will tell you what’s in my heart.
I will tell you what I am thinking.
24 I called, but you refused to listen.
I held out my hand, but you paid no attention.
25 You did not follow my advice.
You did not want me to correct you.
26 So I will laugh when you are in trouble.
I will make fun when disaster happens to you.
27 Disaster will come over you like a storm.
Trouble will strike you like a whirlwind.
Pain and trouble will overwhelm you.
28 “Then you will call out to me.
But I will not answer.
You will look for me.
But you will not find me.
29 You rejected knowledge.
You did not choose to respect the Lord.
30 You did not accept my advice.
You rejected my correction.
31 So you will get what you deserve.
You will get what you planned for others.
32 Fools wander away and get killed.
They are destroyed because they do not care.
33 But those who listen to me will live in safety.
They will be safe, without fear of being hurt.”
Rewards of Wisdom
2 My child, believe what I say.
And remember what I command you.
2 Listen to wisdom.
Try with all your heart to gain understanding.
3 Cry out for wisdom.
Beg for understanding.
4 Search for it as you would for silver.
Hunt for it like hidden treasure.
5 Then you will understand what it means to respect the Lord.
Then you will begin to know God.
6 Only the Lord gives wisdom.
Knowledge and understanding come from him.
7 He stores up wisdom for those who are honest.
Like a shield he protects those who are innocent.
8 He guards those who are fair to others.
He protects those who are loyal to him.
9 Then you will understand what is honest and fair and right.
You will understand what is good to do.
10 You will have wisdom in your heart.
And knowledge will be pleasing to you.
11 Good sense will protect you.
Understanding will guard you.
12 It will keep you from doing evil.
It will save you from people whose words are bad.
13 Such people do not do what is right.
They do what is evil.
14 They enjoy doing wrong.
They are happy to do what is crooked and evil.
15 What they do is wrong.
Their ways are dishonest.
16 It will save you from the unfaithful wife
who tries to lead you into adultery with pleasing words.
17 Such women leave the husbands they married when they were young.
They forget the promise they made before God.
18 If you go to her house, you are on your way to death.
What she does leads to death.
19 No one who goes to her comes back.
He will not continue to live.
20 But wisdom will help you be a good person.
It will help you do what is right.
21 Those who are honest will stay in the land.
Those who are innocent will remain in it.
22 But evil people will be removed from the land.
The unfaithful will be thrown out of it.
Advice to Children
3 My child, do not forget my teaching.
Keep my commands in mind.
2 Then you will live a long time.
And your life will be successful.
3 Don’t ever stop being kind and truthful.
Let kindness and truth show in all you do.
Write them down in your mind as if on a tablet.
4 Then you will be respected
and pleasing to both God and men.
5 Trust the Lord with all your heart.
Don’t depend on your own understanding.
6 Remember the Lord in everything you do.
And he will give you success.
7 Don’t depend on your own wisdom.
Respect the Lord and refuse to do wrong.
8 Then your body will be healthy.
And your bones will be strong.
9 Honor the Lord by giving him part of your wealth.
Give him the firstfruits from all your crops.
10 Then your barns will be full.
And your wine barrels will overflow with new wine.
11 My child, do not reject the Lord’s discipline.
And don’t become angry when he corrects you.
12 The Lord corrects those he loves,
just as a father corrects the child that he likes.
13 Happy is the person who finds wisdom.
And happy is the person who gets understanding.
14 Wisdom is worth more than silver.
It brings more profit than gold.
15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies.
Nothing you want is equal to it.
16 With her right hand wisdom offers you a long life.
With her left hand she gives you riches and honor.
17 Wisdom will make your life pleasant.
It will bring you peace.
18 As a tree makes fruit, wisdom gives life to those who use it.
Everyone who uses wisdom will be happy.
19 Using his wisdom, the Lord made the earth.
Using his understanding, he set the sky in place.
20 Using his knowledge, he made rivers flow from underground springs.
And he made the clouds drop rain on the earth.
21 My child, hold on to wisdom and reason.
Don’t let them out of your sight!
22 They will give you life.
Like a necklace, they will beautify your life.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety.
And you will not get hurt.
24 You won’t need to be afraid when you lie down.
When you lie down, your sleep will be peaceful.
25 You won’t need to be afraid of trouble coming suddenly.
You won’t need to fear the ruin that comes to the wicked.
26 The Lord will keep you safe.
He will keep you from being trapped.
27 Whenever you are able,
do good to people who need help.
28 If you have what your neighbor asks for,
don’t say to him,
“Come back later. I will give it to you tomorrow.”
29 Don’t make plans to hurt your neighbor.
He lives nearby and trusts you.
30 Don’t accuse a man for no good reason.
Don’t accuse him if he has not harmed you.
31 Don’t be jealous of men who use violence.
And don’t choose to be like them.
32 The Lord hates those who do wrong.
But he is a friend to those who are honest.
33 The Lord will put a curse on the evil person’s house.
But he will bless the home of people who do what is right.
34 The Lord laughs at those who laugh at him.
But he is kind to those who are not proud.
35 Wise people will receive honor.
But foolish people will be disgraced.
Wisdom Is Important
4 My children, listen to your father’s teaching.
Pay attention so you will understand.
2 What I am telling you is good.
Do not forget what I teach you.
3 I was once a young boy in my father’s house.
I was like an only child to my mother.
4 And my father taught me and said,
“Hold on to my words with all your heart.
Keep my commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom and understanding.
Don’t forget or ignore my words.
6 Use wisdom, and it will take care of you.
Love wisdom, and it will keep you safe.
7 Wisdom is the most important thing. So get wisdom.
If it costs everything you have, get understanding.
8 Believe in the value of wisdom, and it will make you great.
Use it, and it will bring honor to you.
9 Like flowers in your hair, it will beautify your life.
Like a crown, it will make you look beautiful.”
10 My child, listen and accept what I say.
Then you will have a long life.
11 I am guiding you in wisdom.
And I am leading you to do what is right.
12 Nothing will hold you back.
You will not be overwhelmed.
13 Always remember what you have been taught.
Don’t let go of it.
Keep safe all that you have learned.
It is the most important thing in your life.
14 Don’t follow the ways of the wicked.
Don’t do what evil people do.
15 Avoid their ways. Don’t go near what they do.
Stay away from them and keep on going.
16 They cannot sleep until they do evil.
They cannot rest until they hurt someone.
17 They fill themselves with wickedness and cruelty
as if they were eating bread and drinking wine.
18 The way of the good person is like the light of dawn.
It grows brighter and brighter until it is full daylight.
19 But the wicked are like those who stumble in the dark.
They can’t even see what has hurt them.
20 My child, pay attention to my words.
Listen closely to what I say.
21 Don’t ever forget my words.
Keep them deep within your heart.
22 These words are the secret to life for those who find them.
They bring health to the whole body.
23 Be very careful about what you think.
Your thoughts run your life.
24 Don’t use your mouth to tell lies.
Don’t ever say things that are not true.
25 Keep your eyes focused on what is right.
Keep looking straight ahead to what is good.
26 Be careful what you do.
Always do what is right.
27 Do not do anything unless it is right.
Stay away from evil.
Warning About Adultery
5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
Listen to my words of understanding.
2 Be careful to use good sense.
Watch what you say.
3 The words of another man’s wife may seem sweet as honey.
Her words may be as pleasant as olive oil.
4 But in the end she will bring you sorrow.
She will cause you pain like a two-edged sword.
5 She is on the way to death.
Her steps are headed straight to the grave.
6 She gives no thought to life.
She does not know that her ways are wrong.
7 Now, my sons, listen to me.
Don’t ignore what I say.
8 Stay away from such a woman.
Don’t even go near the door of her house.
9 If you do, you will give your riches to others.
And the best years of your life will be given to someone who is cruel.
10 Strangers will enjoy your wealth.
And what you worked so hard for will go to someone else.
11 You will groan at the end of your life.
Then your health will be gone.
12 Then you will say, “I hated self-control!
I would not listen when I was corrected!
13 I would not listen to my teachers.
I paid no attention to what they taught me.
14 I have come very close to being completely ruined
in front of a whole group of people.”
15 Be faithful to your own wife.
She is like your own well of water from which you drink.
16 You wouldn’t drink from streams
flowing in the city streets or squares.
So be satisfied with your wife,
not those outside your home.
17 These things are yours alone.
Don’t share them with strangers.
18 Be happy with the wife
you married when you were young.
She gives you joys
as your fountain gives you water.
19 She is as lovely and graceful as a deer.
Let her love always make you happy.
Let her love always hold you captive.
20 My son, don’t be held captive by a woman who takes part in adultery.
Don’t hold another man’s wife.
21 The Lord sees everything you do.
He watches where you go.
22 An evil man will be caught in his evil ways.
He will be tied up by his sins as if they were ropes.
23 He will die because he does not control himself.
He will be held captive by his own foolishness.
Dangers of Being Foolish
6 My child, be careful about giving a guarantee for somebody else.
Be careful about promising to pay what someone else owes.
2 You might get trapped by what you say.
You might be caught by your own words.
3 My child, you might do this and be under somebody’s control.
Then here is how to get free.
Go to your neighbor and don’t be proud.
Beg him to free you from your promise.
4 Don’t go to sleep.
Don’t even rest your eyes.
5 But free yourself like a deer running from a hunter.
Free yourself like a bird flying away from a trapper.
6 Go watch the ants, you lazy person.
Watch what they do and be wise.
7 Ants have no commander.
They have no leader or ruler.
8 But they store up food in the summer.
They gather their supplies at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you lazy person?
When will you get up from sleeping?
10 You sleep a little; you take a nap.
You fold your hands and rest.
11 So you will be as poor as if you had been robbed.
You will have as little as if you had been held up.
12 Some people are wicked and no good.
They go around telling lies.
13 They wink with their eyes and signal with their feet.
They make signs with their fingers.
14 They make evil plans in their hearts.
They are always causing trouble.
15 So trouble will strike them in an instant.
Suddenly they will be hurt beyond cure.
16 There are six things the Lord hates.
There are seven things he cannot stand:
17 a proud look,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill innocent people,
18 a mind that thinks up evil plans,
feet that are quick to do evil,
19 a witness who tells lies
and a man who causes trouble among brothers.
Warning About Adultery
20 My son, keep your father’s commands.
Don’t forget your mother’s teaching.
21 Remember their words forever.
Let it be as if they were tied around your neck.
22 They will guide you when you walk.
They will guard you while you sleep.
They will speak to you when you are awake.
23 Their commands are like a lamp.
Their teaching is like a light.
And the correction that comes from them
helps you have life.
24 Such teaching will keep you from sinful women
and from the pleasing words of another man’s unfaithful wife.
25 Don’t want her because she is beautiful.
Don’t let her capture you by the way she looks at you.
26 A prostitute may leave you with only a loaf of bread.
And a woman who takes part in adultery may cost you your life.
27 You cannot carry hot coals against your chest
without burning your clothes.
28 And you cannot walk on hot coals
without burning your feet.
29 The same thing happens if you commit adultery with another man’s wife.
Anyone who does so will be punished.
30 People do not hate a thief
when he steals because he is hungry.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole.
It may cost him everything he owns.
32 A man who takes part in adultery doesn’t have any sense.
He will destroy himself.
33 He will be beaten up and disgraced.
And his shame will never go away.
34 Jealousy makes a husband very angry.
He will have no mercy when he gets even.
35 He will accept no payment for the wrong.
He will take no money, no matter how much it is.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.