Thursday, April 15

5Thus says the Lord God, who made heaven and established it, who made firm the earth and the things in it, and who gives breath to the people in it, and spirit to those who walk on it:

6'I, the Lord God, called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand. I will strengthen You, and give You as the covenant of a race, as the light of the Gentiles,

7to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners who are bound, and those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

8I am the Lord God; this is My name. I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to carved images.

9Behold, things from of old came to pass, and new things I will declare. Before they spring forth, I will tell you of them.'

10Sing to the Lord a new song, you His realm. Glorify His name from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea and sail on it, you coastlands and you who inhabit them.

11Be glad, O desert and its villages, the homesteads and those inhabiting Kedar. Those who dwell in Petra shall be glad; they shall shout from the tops of the mountains.

12They will give glory to God and declare His virtues in the coastlands.

13The Lord God of powers shall go forth and crush war. He shall stir up His zeal, and cry out against His enemies with strength.

14I held My peace, and I will not always be silent and restrain Myself. Now I will be steadfast, like a woman in labor. I shall amaze and dry up together.

15I will make the rivers into coastlands and dry up marsh-meadows.

16I will bring the blind by a way they did not know, and will cause them to tread paths they have not known. I will turn darkness into light for them, and make crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.

20Then the Lord said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah has been completed, and their sins are exceedingly great.

21Therefore, I will go down now and see whether or not they are carrying out the outcry coming to Me concerning them.'

22Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained before the Lord.

23So Abraham drew near and said, 'Would You also destroy the righteous with the ungodly?

24Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous in it?

25Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?'

26Then the Lord said, 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.'

27So Abraham answered and said, 'Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:

28But suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?' He replied, 'If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.'

29Again he spoke to Him and said, 'But suppose there should be forty found there?' So He said, 'I would not destroy it for the sake of forty.'

30Then he said, 'Let not the Lord be offended, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?' So He said, 'I would not destroy it if I should find thirty there.'

31Again he said, 'Since I have permission to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty should be found there?' So He said, 'I would not destroy it for the sake of twenty.'

32Then he said, 'Let not the Lord be offended, and I will speak but once more, suppose ten should be found there?' So He said, 'I would not destroy it for the sake of the ten.'

33So the Lord went His way as soon as He finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

17A gentle mind with humility is better Than he who divides spoils with the arrogant.

18A man wise in his deeds is a discoverer of good things, But he who trusts in God is the most blessed.

19Men call the wise and understanding worthless, But those pleasing in speech will increase in understanding.

20Understanding is a fountain of life to those who possess it, But the instruction of those without discernment is evil.

21The heart of a wise man shall understand the things from his own mouth, And he shall carry knowledge upon his lips.

22Good words are a honey comb, And their sweetness is a healing of the soul.

23There are ways that seem right to a man; However, their ends look to the depths of Hades.

24A man labors diligently for himself And expels destruction from himself; However, a perverse man carries destruction on his lips.

25A man without discernment digs up evil things for himself And stores up fire on his own lips.

26A perverse man spreads evil things, And a torch of deceit kindles evils and separates friends.

27A lawless man makes a trial of friends And leads them in ways not good.

28A man sets his eyes to calculate perverse things And determines every evil thing with his lips; This man is a furnace of wickedness.

29Old age is a crown of dignity, But it is found in the ways of righteousness.

30A patient man is better than a strong man, And he who controls his temper is better than he who captures a city.

31All evil things come into the bosoms of the unrighteous, But all righteous things come from the Lord.

1Better is a morsel with enjoyment in peace Than a house full of many good things and unrighteous sacrifices with quarreling.

2A servant with discernment shall rule over masters without discernment, And will divide portions among brethren.

3As silver and gold are tested in a furnace, So are chosen hearts before the Lord.

4An evil man heeds the tongue of the lawless, But a righteous man pays no attention to false lips.

5He who laughs at the poor provokes the One who made him, And he who rejoices in destruction will not be unpunished; But he who has compassion will be shown mercy.

6The crown of old men is children of children, And the boasting of children is their fathers.

7The entire world of goods belongs to the faithful, But to the faithless, not even a penny.

8Faithful lips will not adapt to a man without discernment, Nor lying lips to a righteous man.

9Instruction awards benefits to those using it, And wherever it turns, it prospers them.

10He who hides wrongdoings seeks love, But he who hates to cover them will separate friends and close relatives.

11A threat breaks the heart of a man with discernment, But a man without discernment, though flogged, has no perception.

12Every evil man stirs up controversy, But the Lord will send him a merciless messenger.

13Care will befall a thoughtful man, But men without discernment devise evil things.

14He who repays evil for good, Evil will not be removed from his house.

15The foundation of righteousness gives authority to words, But discord and quarreling precede poverty.

16He who judges the unrighteous as righteous, and the righteous as unrighteous, He is unclean and abominable before God.

17Why do goods belong to a man without discernment? For a heartless man is unable to gain wisdom.