Day 590 of 730

¹Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus;

²who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house.

³For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house.

⁴For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.

⁵Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken,

⁶but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.

⁷Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear his voice,

⁸do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness,

⁹where your fathers tested me and challenged me, and saw my works for forty years.

¹⁰Therefore I was displeased with this generation, and said, 'They always err in their heart, but they did not know my ways;'

¹¹as I swore in my wrath, 'They will not enter into my rest.'"

¹²Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God;

¹³but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called "today;" lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

¹⁴For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end:

¹⁵while it is said, "Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion."

¹⁶For who, when they heard, rebelled? No, did not all those who came out of Egypt by Moses?

¹⁷With whom was he displeased forty years? Was not it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

¹⁸To whom did he swear that they would not enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

¹⁹We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

¹Deliver me, Lord, from the evil man. Preserve me from the violent man;

²those who devise mischief in their hearts. They continually gather themselves together for war.

³They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper's poison is under their lips. Selah.

⁴Lord, keep me from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from the violent men who have determined to trip my feet.

⁵The proud have hidden a snare for me, they have spread the cords of a net by the path. They have set traps for me. Selah.

⁶I said to the Lord, "You are my God." Listen to the cry of my petitions, Lord.

⁷Lord, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked. Do not let their evil plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah.

⁹As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

¹⁰Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, from where they never rise.

¹¹An evil speaker won't be established in the earth. Evil will hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

¹²I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the needy.

¹³Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name. The upright will dwell in your presence.

¹The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

²to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

³to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

⁴to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:

⁵that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

⁶to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸My son, listen to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching:

⁹for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us, Let's lie in wait for blood; let's lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

¹²let's swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

¹³We'll find all valuable wealth. We'll fill our houses with spoil.

¹⁴You shall cast your lot among us. We'll all have one purse."

¹⁵My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

¹⁶for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

¹⁸but these lie in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

²⁰Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

²¹She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

²²"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

²³Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

²⁴Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

²⁵but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you.

²⁸Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

²⁹because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

³⁰They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

³¹Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

³²For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm."