Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from Proverbs chapters
1 through 4. Chapter 1. The Proverbs of Solomon,
the son of David, king of Israel. To know wisdom
and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding,
to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice,
judgment, and equity, to give prudence to the
simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
A wise man will hear and increase learning, and
a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.
To understand a proverb and an enigma, the words
of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools
despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear
the instruction of your father, and do not forsake
the law of your mother, for there will be a graceful
ornament on your head, and chains about your
neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
If they say, Come with us, let us lie in wait
to shed blood. Let us lurk secretly for the innocent
without cause. Let us swallow them alive like
Sheol, and whole like those who go down to the
pit. We shall find all kinds of precious possessions.
We shall fill our houses with spoil. Cast in
your lot among us. Let us all have one purse.
My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep
your foot from their path, for their feet run
to evil. and they make haste to shed blood surely
in vain the net is spread in the sight of any
bird but they lie in wait for their own blood
they lurk secretly for their own lives so are
the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain it
takes away the life of its owners wisdom calls
aloud outside she raises her voice in the open
squares she cries out in the chief concourses
at the openings of the gates in the city she
speaks her words how long you simple ones will
you love simplicity For scorners delight in their
scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my
rebuke. Surely I will pour out my spirit on you.
I will make my words known to you, because I
have called and you refused. I have stretched
out my hand and no one regarded, because you
disdained all my counsel. And will have none
of my rebuke. I also will laugh at your calamity.
I will mock when your terror comes, when your
terror comes like a storm. and your destruction
comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish
come upon you. Then they will call on me, but
I will not answer. They will seek me diligently,
but they will not find me, because they hated
knowledge and did not choose the fear of the
Lord. They would have none of my counsel and
despise my every rebuke. Therefore they shall
eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled
to the full with their own fancies. For the turning
away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency
of fools will destroy them. But whoever listens
to me will dwell safely, and will be secure without
fear of evil. Chapter 2 My son, if you receive
my words and treasure my commands within you,
so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply
your heart to understanding, yes, if you cry
out for discernment and lift up your voice for
understanding, if you seek her as silver and
search for her as for hidden treasures, Then
you will understand the fear of the Lord and
find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives
wisdom. From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He
is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guards
the path of justice and preserves the way of
His saints. Then you will understand righteousness
and justice, equity in every good path. When
wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant
to your soul, discretion will preserve you. Understanding
will keep you, to deliver you from the way of
evil, from the man who speaks perverse things,
from those who leave the path of uprightness,
to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice
in doing evil and delight in the perversity of
the wicked, whose ways are crooked and who are
devious in their path. to deliver you from the
immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters
with her words, who forsakes the companion of
her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God.
For her house leads down to death, and her path
to the dead. None who go to her return, nor do
they regain the path of life. So you may walk
in the way of goodness. and keep to the path
of righteousness. For the upright will dwell
in the land, and the blameless will remain in
it. But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
Chapter 3 My son, do not forget my law, but let
your heart keep my commands. For length of days
and long life and peace they will add to you.
Let not mercy and truth forsake you. Bind them
around your neck. Write them on a tablet of your
heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the
sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with
all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct your path. Do not be wise in your own
eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It
will be health to your flesh and strength to
your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions
and with the firstfruits of all your increase,
so your barns will be filled with plenty. and
your vats will overflow with new wine. My son,
do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor
detest his correction. For whom the Lord loves,
he corrects, just as a father the son in whom
he delights. Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
and the man who gains understanding. For her
proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious
than rubies, and all the things you may desire
cannot compare with her. Length of days is in
her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those
who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain
her. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by
understanding he established the heavens. By
his knowledge the depths were broken up, and
clouds dropped down the dew. My son, let them
not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom
and discretion. So they will be life to your
soul, and grace to your neck. Then you will walk
safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes,
you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble
from the wicked when it comes. For the Lord will
be your confidence, and will keep your foot from
being caught. Do not withhold good from those
to whom it is due, when it is in the power of
your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor,
Go and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,
when you have it with you. Do not devise evil
against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for
safety's sake. Do not strive with a man without
cause, if he has done you no harm. Do not envy
the oppressor, and choose none of his ways, for
the perverse person is an abomination to the
Lord. But his secret counsel is with the upright.
The curse of the Lord is on the house of the
wicked, but he blesses the home of the just.
Surely he scorns the scornful, but gives grace
to the humble. The wise shall inherit glory,
but shame shall be the legacy of fools. Chapter
4 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
and give attention to no understanding, for I
give you good doctrine. Do not forsake my law.
When I was my father's son, tender and the only
one in the sight of my mother, he also taught
me and said to me, Let your heart retain my words.
Keep my commands and live. Get wisdom, get understanding.
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of
my mouth. Do not forsake her and she will preserve
you. Love her and she will keep you. Wisdom is
the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. And
in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt
her and she will promote you. She will bring
you honor when you embrace her. She will place
on your head an ornament of grace, a crown of
glory she will deliver to you. Hear, my son,
and receive my sayings, and the years of your
life will be many. I have taught you in the way
of wisdom. I have led you in right path. When
you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and
when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm
hold of instruction. Do not let go. Keep her,
for she is your life. Do not enter the path of
the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil.
Avoid it. Do not travel on it. Turn away from
it and pass on. For they do not sleep unless
they have done evil, and their sleep is taken
away unless they make someone fall. For they
eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine
of violence. But the path of the just is like
the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto
the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like
darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble.
My son, give attention to my words. Incline your
ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from
your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart,
for they are life to those who find them and
health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with
all diligence, for out of it spring the issues
of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth
and put perverse lips far from you. Let your
eyes look straight ahead and your eyelids look
right before you. Ponder the path of your feet
and let all your ways be established. Do not
turn to the right or the left. Remove your foot
from evil. I hope you enjoyed today's reading
as much as I did and I look forward to seeing
you again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.