Genesis 6
Man’s Wickedness
1 Now it came to pass that men began to exist in great numbers on the earth, and daughters were born to them.
2 So when the sons of God saw the daughters of men were beautiful, they took wives for themselves of all they chose.
3 Then the Lord God said, “My Spirit shall not remain with these people forever, for they are flesh. So their days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”†
4 Now there were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men of old, men of renown.
5 Then the Lord God saw man’s wickedness, that it was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts within his heart was only evil continually.†
6 So God was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and He thought this over.†
7 Then God said, “I will blot out man whom I created from the face of the earth, from man to cattle, and from the creeping things to the birds of heaven, for I am grieved I made them.”†
8 But Noah found grace in the presence of the Lord God.†
Righteous Noah Builds the Ark
9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, who was perfect in his generation and well-pleasing to God.
10 So Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt before God and filled with unrighteousness.†
12 Thus the Lord God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh corrupted their way on the earth.
13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with unrighteousness through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14 Make yourself an ark of square timber. You shall make the ark in compartments, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.†
15 Thus you shall make the ark: three hundred cubits in length, fifty cubits in breadth, and thirty cubits in height.
16 Now when you assemble the ark, you shall gradually finish it up to a cubit at the top, and set the door in its side. You shall make the ark with lower, second, and third stories.
17 And behold, I am bringing a flood of water on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life. Whatever is on the earth shall die.
18 But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
19 From every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.
20 Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing on the earth after its kind, two of every kind, they will enter into the ark with you, male and female, to keep them alive.
21 You shall also take for yourself all kinds of food to eat, and you shall gather it both for yourself and for them.”
22 Thus Noah did according to all the Lord God commanded him, so he did.
Psalms 8
1 For the End; concerning the winepresses; a psalm by David. †
2 O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous is Your name in all the earth, For Your splendor is exalted far beyond the heavens.
3 From the mouths of babies and nursing infants You prepared praise because of Your enemies, That You may destroy the enemy and avenger.
4 For I shall look at the heavens, the works of Your fingers, The moon and stars You established.
5 What is man that You remember him, Or the son of man that You visit him?
6 You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor.
7 You set him over the works of Your hands; You subjected all things under his feet,
8 All sheep and oxen, And besides these, also the animals of the field,
9 The birds of heaven and the fish of the sea, And the things passing through the paths of the seas.
10 O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous is Your name in all the earth.
Proverbs of Solomon 1
25 Since I called, but you did not obey, And spoke at length, but you paid no attention,
26 But made my counsels invalid, And were not persuaded by my reproofs;
27 Consequently, I will laugh at your annihilation, And will exult when ruin comes to you,
28 And when confusion reaches you unawares, And overthrow comes like a whirlwind,
29 And when tribulation and anguish come to you, And when destruction comes to you.
Matthew 5
Righteousness Illustrated
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ †
22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,†
24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.†
26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ †
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.†
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’†
32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;†
35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.†
40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,†
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.