Day 708 of 730

¹My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and I will make music with my soul.

²Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn.

³I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the nations. I will sing praises to you among the peoples.

⁴For your loving kindness is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

⁵Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶That your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

⁷God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.

⁸Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter.

⁹Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia."

¹⁰Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who has led me to Edom?

¹¹Haven't you rejected us, God? You do not go forth, God, with our armies.

¹²Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain.

¹³Through God, we will do valiantly. For it is he who will tread down our enemies.

¹Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn't come to rest.

³A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

⁶One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

⁷Like the legs of the lame that hang loose: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thornbush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.

¹¹As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!"

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.

¹⁵The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog's ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "Am I not joking?"

²⁰For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

²¹As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.

²²The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.

²³Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.

²⁴A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.

²⁵When his speech is charming, do not believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.