Through the Bible – Day 254

Bible text(s)

Proverbs 22

The value of a good reputation

₁A good reputation and respect

are worth much more

than silver and gold.

₂The rich and the poor

are all created

by the LORD.

₃When you see trouble coming,

don't be stupid

and walk right into it—

be clever and hide.

₄Respect and serve the LORD!

Your reward will be wealth,

a long life, and honour.

₅Crooks walk down a road

full of thorny traps.

Stay away from there!

₆Teach your children

right from wrong,

and when they are grown

they will still do right.

₇The poor are ruled by the rich,

and those who borrow

are slaves of moneylenders.

₈Troublemakers get in trouble,

and their terrible anger

will get them nowhere.

₉The LORD blesses everyone

who freely gives food

to the poor.

₁₀Arguments and fights

will come to an end,

if you chase away those

who insult others.

₁₁The king is the friend of all

who are sincere

and speak with kindness.

₁₂The LORD watches over everyone

who shows good sense,

but he frustrates the plans

of deceitful liars.

₁₃Don't be so lazy that you say,

“If I go to work,

a lion will eat me!”

₁₄The words of a bad woman

are like a deep pit;

if you make the LORD angry,

you will fall right in.

₁₅All children are foolish,

but firm correction

will make them change.

₁₆Cheat the poor to make profit

or give gifts to the rich—

either way you lose.

Thirty wise sayings

₁₇Here are some sayings

of people with wisdom,

so listen carefully

as I teach.

₁₈You will be glad

that you know these sayings

and can recite them.

₁₉I am teaching them today,

so that you

may trust the LORD.

₂₀I have written thirty sayings

filled with sound advice.

₂₁You can trust them completely

to give you the right words

for those in charge of you.

—1—

₂₂Don't take advantage

of the poor

or cheat them in court.

₂₃The LORD is their defender,

and what you do to them,

he will do to you.

—2—

₂₄Don't make friends with anyone

who has a bad temper.

₂₅You might turn out like them

and get caught in a trap.

—3—

₂₆Don't guarantee to pay

someone else's debt.

₂₇If you don't have the money,

you might lose your bed.

—4—

₂₈Don't move a boundary marker

set up by your ancestors.

—5—

₂₉If you do your job well,

you will work for a ruler

and never be a slave.

Proverbs 22:1-29CEVOpen in Bible reader

2 Corinthians 6

The temple of the living God

₁₄Stay away from people who are not followers of the Lord! Can someone who is good get along with someone who is evil? Are light and darkness the same? ₁₅Is Christ a friend of Satan? Can people who follow the Lord have anything in common with those who don't? ₁₆Do idols belong in the temple of God? We are the temple of the living God, as God himself says,

“I will live with these people

and walk among them.

I will be their God,

and they will be

my people.”

₁₇The Lord also says,

“Leave them and stay away!

Don't touch anything

that isn't clean.

Then I will welcome you

₁₈and be your Father.

You will be my sons

and my daughters,

as surely as I am God,

the All-Powerful.”

2 Corinthians 7

₁My friends, God has made us these promises. So we should stay away from everything that keeps our bodies and spirits from being clean. We should honour God and try to be completely like him.

The church makes Paul happy

₂Make a place for us in your hearts! We haven't ill-treated or hurt anyone. We haven't cheated anyone. ₃I am not saying this to be hard on you. But, as I have said before, you will always be in our thoughts, whether we live or die. ₄I trust you completely. I am always proud of you, and I am greatly encouraged. In all my trouble I am still very happy.

₅After we came to Macedonia, we didn't have any chance to rest. We were faced with all kinds of problems. We were troubled by enemies and troubled by fears. ₆But God cheers up people in need, and that is what he did when he sent Titus to us. ₇Of course, we were glad to see Titus, but what really made us glad is the way you cheered him up. He told how sorry you were and how concerned you were about me. And this made me even happier.

₈I don't feel bad any more, even though my letter hurt your feelings. I did feel bad at first, but I don't now. I know that the letter hurt you for a while. ₉Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to him, and none of you were harmed by us. ₁₀When God makes you feel sorry enough to turn to him and be saved, you don't have anything to feel bad about. But when this world makes you feel sorry, it can cause your death.

₁₁Just look what God has done by making you feel sorry! You sincerely want to prove that you are innocent. You are angry. You are shocked. You are eager to see that justice is done. You have proved that you were completely right in this matter. ₁₂When I wrote to you, it wasn't to accuse the one who was wrong or to stand up for the one who was hurt. I wrote, so that God would show you how much you do care for us. ₁₃And we were greatly encouraged.

Although we were encouraged, we felt even better when we saw how happy Titus was, because you had shown that he had nothing to worry about. ₁₄We had told him how much we thought of you, and you did not disappoint us. Just as we have always told you the truth, so everything we told him about you has also proved to be true. ₁₅Titus loves all of you very much, especially when he remembers how you obeyed him and how you trembled with fear when you welcomed him. ₁₆It makes me really glad to know that I can depend on you.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:16CEVOpen in Bible reader