Day 518 of 730

¹When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God.

²For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

³I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

⁴My speech and my proclaiming were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

⁵that your faith would not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

⁶We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown; yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing.

⁷But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,

⁸which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹But as it is written, "Things which an eye did not see, and an ear did not hear, which did not enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him."

¹⁰But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

¹¹For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God, except God's Spirit.

¹²But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.

¹³Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

¹⁴Now the natural man does not receive the things of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

¹⁵But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one.

¹⁶"For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?" But we have Christ's mind.

¹Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.

²As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

³But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

⁴Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!

⁵A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

⁶God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

⁷God, when you went forth before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.

⁸The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai- at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

⁹You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.

¹⁰Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company.

¹²"Kings of armies flee! They flee!" She who waits at home divides the spoil,

¹³while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.

¹⁵The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.

¹⁶Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, the Lord will dwell there forever.

¹⁷The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.

¹⁸You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among men, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah, God, might dwell there.

¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.

²⁰God is to us a God of deliverance. To the Lord, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

²¹But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.

²²The Lord said, "I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea;

²³That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies."

²⁴They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

²⁵The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, in the midst of the ladies playing with tambourines,

²⁶"Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!"

²⁷There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

²⁸Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.

²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.

³⁰Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples. Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations that delight in war.

³¹Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord! Selah.

³³To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.

³⁴Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.

³⁵You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!

¹A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

²The rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all.

³A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

⁴The result of humility and the fear of the Lord is wealth, honor, and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: whoever guards his soul stays from them.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.

¹¹He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king's friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord watch over knowledge; but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!"

¹⁴The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit: he who is under the Lord's wrath will fall into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child: the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.

¹⁷Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.

¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

¹⁹That your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.

²⁰Haven't I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

²¹To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?

²²Do not exploit the poor, because he is poor; and do not crush the needy in court;

²³for the Lord will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.

²⁴Do not befriend a hot-tempered man, and do not associate with one who harbors anger:

²⁵lest you learn his ways, and ensnare your soul.

²⁶Do not be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.

²⁷If you do not have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not move the ancient boundary stone, which your fathers have set up.

²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won't serve obscure men.