Thursday, April 8

14Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you afflicted men and rulers of this people in Jerusalem.

15Because you said, 'We made a covenant with Hades, and are in agreement with death, and if the rushing storm passes through, it will not come upon us, for we made falsehood our hope, and in falsehood we shall be protected';

16therefore, thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I lay for the foundations of Zion a costly stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone for its foundations, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.

17I will also cause judgment to be for hope, and My mercy to be for a standard. The sudden blast of wind will not pass by you who trust vainly in falsehood,

18except it also take away your covenant of death. Your hope in Hades will also not stand when the rushing storm passes through, for you will be beaten down by it.

19When it passes through, it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through by day, and by night there will be an evil hope.' Learn to listen,

20you in difficult straits. We cannot fight, and we ourselves are too weak to gather ourselves together.

21As the mountain of the ungodly will rise up and be in the valley of Gibeon, He will do His deeds in anger, a work of bitterness. His anger will behave strangely, and His bitterness will be strange.

22So do not be glad, neither let your bands become strong; because I heard from the Lord of hosts the things He will perform upon all the earth.

32These were the tribes of Noah's sons, according to their genealogy, in their nations; and from these the coastal nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

1Now the whole earth was one language and one speech.

2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there.

3Then they said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them with fire.' They had brick for stone and asphalt for mortar.

4They also said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, whose top will reach to heaven; and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'

5But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the sons of men built.

6Then the Lord said, 'Indeed, the people are one race and one language, and they have begun to do what they said. Now they will not fail to accomplish what they have undertaken.

7Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language, so they may not understand one another's speech.'

8So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city and the tower.

9Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the languages of all the earth; and from there the Lord God scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

19A rash king falls into evil things, But a faithful messenger rescues him.

20Instruction removes poverty and dishonor, And he who gives heed to rebukes will be glorified.

21The desires of the godly gladden the soul, But the works of the ungodly are far from knowledge.

22He who walks with the wise shall be wise, But he who walks with those without discernment will be known.

23Evil things shall pursue sinners, But good things will overtake the righteous.

24A good man will inherit sons of sons, But the wealth of the ungodly will be stored up for the righteous.

25The righteous shall live in wealth many years, But the unrighteous will be destroyed suddenly.

26He who spares the rod hates his son, But he who loves him instructs him with care.

27A righteous man eats and satisfies his soul, But the souls of the ungodly are in want.

1Wise women build houses, But those without discernment destroy them with their hands.

2He who walks uprightly fears the Lord, But he who is crooked in his ways will be dishonored.

3From the mouth of a man without discernment comes a rod of arrogance, But the lips of wise men guard themselves.

4Where there are no oxen, the stalls are clean, But where there are abundant crops, the strength of an ox is evident.

5A faithful witness does not lie, But an unrighteous witness kindles lies.

6You will seek wisdom in the company of evil men, and you will not find it; But perception is easily found with the discerning.