Wisdom of Sirach 44
In Praise of Honored Men
1 Let us now praise honored men and our fathers.†
2 The Lord established His great glory And majesty from the beginning through them.
3 There were those who ruled in their kingdoms And were men renowned for their power, Giving counsel through their understanding And proclaiming prophecies.†
4 There were leaders of the people by their counsels And understanding of learning for the people, Wise in their words of instruction.
5 There were composers of music, And they set forth verse in writing,
6 Wealthy men with great resources, Living in peace in their dwelling-places.
7 All these were honored in their generations And in their days were a source of boasting.
8 There were those who left behind a name That men might declare their praises.
9 There were also those whom no one remembers, Who perished as if they never existed; And they died as if they had not been born, And so have their children after them.
10 Nevertheless, these were men of mercy, Whose righteousness lives with God.
11 The good they did remains with their seed, And their inheritance with their children’s children.
12 Their seed stands with the covenants, And their children as well for their sake.
13 Their seed shall remain forever, And their glory will not be blotted out.
14 Their bodies were buried in peace, And their name lives to all generations.
15 Peoples will tell of their wisdom, And the assembly will proclaim their praise.
Enoch
16 Enoch pleased the Lord and was translated As an example of repentance for all generations.
Noah
17 Noah was found perfect And was righteous in the time of wrath, In which he was rescued in exchange. Therefore a remnant was left on the earth When the flood came.†
18 Everlasting covenants were made with him That all flesh would not be wiped away again by a flood.
Abraham and His Sons
19 Abraham was a great father of many nations, And no one is found like him in glory.
20 He kept the law of the Most High, Who made a covenant with him. He established a covenant in his flesh, And he was found faithful in testing.
21 Therefore He affirmed by an oath That nations would be blessed in his seed; And He would multiply him like the dust of the earth, And exalt his seed like the stars in number, And cause them to inherit from sea unto sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.†
22 And with Isaac He established the same assurance, For the sake of Abraham his father.
23 A blessing for all men and the covenant He made Rest upon the head of Jacob. He acknowledged him with His blessings And gave him an inheritance. Then He divided his portions among twelve tribes.
Psalms 44
1 For the End, concerning things that shall be changed; to the sons of Korah for understanding; an ode concerning the Beloved One. †
2 My heart overflowed with a good word; I tell my works to the King; My tongue is the pen of a swift-writing scribe.
3 You are more beautiful than the sons of men; Grace was poured out on Your lips; Therefore God blessed You forever.
4 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, In Your splendor and Your beauty.
5 And stretch Your bow, and grant prosperity, and reign Because of truth, gentleness, and righteousness, And Your right hand shall guide You wondrously.
6 Your arrows are sharp, O Mighty One (The peoples shall fall under You), In the heart of the King’s enemies.
7 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; Your royal scepter is a scepter of uprightness.
8 You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
9 Myrrh and stacte and cassia pour forth from Your garments, From the ivory palaces from which they gladdened You.
10 There are daughters of kings in Your honor; The queen stood at Your right hand in apparel interwoven with gold, And adorned and embroidered with various colors.
11 Listen, O daughter, behold and incline your ear, And forget your people and your father’s house;
12 For the King desired your beauty, For He is your Lord.
13 And the daughters of Tyre shall worship Him with gifts; The rich among the people shall entreat your favor.
14 All her glory as the King’s daughter is within, Adorned and embroidered with golden tassels.
15 The virgins behind her shall be brought to the King; Her neighbors shall be brought to You;
16 They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing; They shall be led into the temple of the King.
17 In place of your fathers, sons shall be born to you; You shall make them rulers over all the earth.
18 They shall remember your name from generation to generation; Therefore, peoples shall give thanks to you Forever and unto ages of ages.
Proverbs of Solomon 9
Wisdom: Let Us Attend!
7 He who chastises evil men shall receive dishonor to himself, And he who reproves the ungodly man shall be blamed himself.†
8 Do not reprove evil men, so they may not hate you; Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give the opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser; Instruct a righteous man, and he shall continue to receive it.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the counsel of saints is understanding; For to know the law is characteristic of a good mind.
11 For in this manner you will live a long time, And the years of your life shall be increased.
1 Corinthians 1
Greeting
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,†
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:†
Thanksgiving for God’s Grace at Corinth
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.†
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,†
5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,
6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,†
8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.†
Reported Contentiousness in the Church
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.†
11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.†
12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”†
The Sacrament of Unity: Baptism
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?†
The Message of Unity: Exaltation of the Cross
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,†
15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.†
16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.†
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.†
19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;†
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.†
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,†
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”