Wisdom of Sirach 32
Hosting a Banquet
1 Did they appoint you as leader of the banquet? Do not exalt yourself. Among them be as one of them. Take care of them and only then be seated.†
2 Then having fulfilled all your duties, take your place, That you may make merry for their sake, And receive a crown because of your orderly behavior.
3 Speak, O elder, for this is fitting for you to do so with accurate knowledge; But do not interrupt the music.†
4 Where there is entertainment, do not pour out talk, And do not display your cleverness at the wrong time.
5 A concert of music at a banquet of wine Is like a seal of ruby in a gold ornament.
6 A seal of emerald in a gold setting Is the melody of music with delicious wine.
7 Speak, young man, if there is need of you, But no more than twice, and only if you are asked repeatedly.†
8 Be brief; say much in a few words. Act like a man who knows, yet holds his tongue.
9 Among the great do not act as their equal, And when another is speaking, do little talking.
10 Lightning flashes before thunder, And favor goes before a modest man.
11 Rise to leave in good time, and do not lag behind. Run home and do not be remiss.
12 Amuse yourself there, and do what you intend, But do not sin by speaking arrogantly;
13 And for these things, bless Him who created you And satisfies you with His good things.
Wise and Sinful Men
14 The man who fears the Lord will receive instruction, And those who rise early will find His approval.
15 He who seeks the Law will be filled with it, But the hypocrite will be made to stumble by it.
16 Those who fear the Lord will discover judgment, And like the light they will kindle righteous deeds.
17 A sinful man will turn aside correction And find a rationalization according to his will.†
18 A man of counsel will not neglect thought, But a strange and arrogant man does not tremble in fear.
19 Do nothing without counsel, And when you have acted, do not regret it.
20 Do not walk a path filled with obstacles, And do not trip over stony ground.
21 Do not put your trust in an unexplored way,
22 And keep watch because of your children.
23 In every work entrust your soul to the Lord, For this is the keeping of the commandments.†
24 He who believes in the Law heeds the commandments, And he who trusts in the Lord will not suffer loss.
Psalms 34
17 O Lord, when will You look on this? Restore my soul from their malice, My only-begotten from the lions.
18 I will give thanks to You, O Lord, in the great church; I will praise You among a mighty people.
19 Let them not rejoice over me, those who are unjustly my enemies, Those who hate me without a cause, and wink with their eyes.
20 For they spoke peace to me, But in their wrath they schemed deceit,
21 And opened wide their mouth at me, Saying, “Well done! Well done! Our eyes saw it!”
22 You saw this, O Lord; do not keep silence; O Lord, do not be far from me.
23 Arise, O Lord, attend to my judgment, My God and my Lord, to my cause.
24 Judge me according to Your righteousness, O Lord my God, And let them not rejoice against me;
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Well done! Well done, our soul!” Let them not say, “We swallowed him up!”
26 May those who rejoice at my troubles be altogether dishonored and shamed; Let those who boast against me be clothed with shame and humiliation.
27 Let those who desire my righteousness greatly rejoice, and be glad, And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified,” Those who desire His servant’s peace.
28 And my tongue shall meditate on Your righteousness, And on Your praise all the day long.
Proverbs of Solomon 7
A Son without Discernment
7 For she looks from a window of her house into the streets Upon whom she might see among the undiscerning children,†
8 A young man lacking discernment Passing by near the corner on the pathways of her house;
9 And she speaks in the darkness at evening, When there is silence on a dark night;
10 And the woman meets him, having the appearance of a prostitute; She makes the heart of young men throb.
11 She is excited and debauched, And her feet do not rest at home.
12 For at times she is outside roaming about, And another time she is in the streets near every corner laying a trap.
Romans 8
The Spirit Assists Us Through Suffering
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.†
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.†
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?†
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.†
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
The Father Ensures Our Destiny
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.†
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
The Father’s Love Triumphs in Christ
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?†
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,†
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.