Wisdom of Sirach 47
Nathan and David
1 Then after this Nathan rose up To prophesy in the days of David.†
2 As the fat was divided from the peace offering, So David was separated from the sons of Israel.†
3 He played with lions as with young goats, And with bears as with lambs of sheep.
4 Did he not slay a giant in his youth, And remove the disgrace from the people When he took in his hand a stone for a sling And struck down the arrogance of Goliath?
5 For he called upon the Lord Most High, And strength was given to his right hand To defeat the mighty man in battle, To exalt the power of his people.
6 So for his tens of thousands they glorified him And praised him for the blessings of the Lord when they brought him a diadem of glory.†
7 For he destroyed his enemies all around, Reduced to nothing his enemies the Philistines, And crushed their power to this very day.
8 In his every work, he gave thanks with a word of praise To the Holy One, the Most High; And he sang a hymn with all his heart And loved his Maker.†
9 He placed psalm-singers before the altar To make sweet melody with their voices.†
10 He gave dignity to the feasts And set in order the appointed times throughout the year For them to praise His holy name, And for the sanctuary to resound from early morning.
11 The Lord took away his sins, Exalted his power forever, And gave him a covenant of kings And a throne of glory in Israel.†
Solomon and His Successors
12 After him there arose his wise son, Who lodged in a broad space because of him.
13 For Solomon reigned in days of peace, To whom God gave rest on every side That he might establish a house for His name And prepare a sanctuary to last forever.†
14 How wise you were in your youth, And filled with understanding like a river.
15 Your soul covered the earth, And you were filled with the parables of riddles.
16 Your name was known to islands far away, And you were loved for your peace
17 And for your songs, proverbs, and parables; Nations marveled at you because of your interpretations.
18 In the name of the Lord God, Who is called the God of Israel, You collected gold like tin And multiplied silver like lead.
19 But you lay down beside women And were enslaved by your body.†
20 You brought disgrace on your honor And defiled your seed So as to bring wrath upon your children; And they were pierced by your lack of good sense.
21 Thus one kingdom became two, For out of Ephraim there began a disobedient kingdom.
22 But the Lord did not abandon His mercy Nor corrupt any of His words. Neither did He wipe away the descendants of His chosen one, Nor did He remove the seed of the one who loved Him. He gave a remnant to Jacob, And to David a root from his stock.
23 When Solomon rested with his fathers, He left behind him one of his sons, Lacking in good sense and understanding, Rehoboam, who turned away the people by his counsel.†
24 There was also Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Who caused Israel to sin And led Ephraim on the road to sin. Then their sins were multiplied exceedingly So as to remove them from their land.
25 They sought every wickedness Until punishment came upon them.
Psalms 47
1 A psalm of an ode for the sons of Korah; for the second day of the week. †
2 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, in His holy mountain,
3 Well-rooted in joy throughout the earth, The mountains of Zion, the sides of the north, The city of the great King;
4 God is known in her palaces When He helps her.
5 For behold, the kings assembled; They came together;
6 They saw her; thus they marveled; They were troubled; they were shaken;
7 Trembling laid hold of them; There were labor pains, like a woman giving birth.
8 You shall wreck the ships of Tarshish with a violent wind.
9 As we heard, so we saw In the city of the Lord of hosts, In the city of our God; God established her forever. (Pause)
10 We pondered Your mercy, O God, In the midst of Your temple.
11 According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.
12 Let Mount Zion be glad; Let the daughters of Judah greatly rejoice Because of Your judgments, O Lord.
13 Encircle Zion and embrace her; Describe her towers in detail;
14 Set your hearts on her power And observe her palaces, That you may describe them to another generation.
15 For He is God, our God, Forever and unto ages of ages; He will shepherd us unto the ages.
Proverbs of Solomon 9
21 But he does not know that the inhabitants of the earth perish beside her, And he happens upon a snare of Hades.
22 But hurry off, do not continue in that place, Neither set your eye toward her;
23 For so you shall pass through strange water And cross beyond a strange river;
24 And keep away from strange water, And do not drink from a strange fountain;
25 That you may live a long time And add years of life to yourself.†
1 Corinthians 4
Wisdom in Spiritual Fatherhood
1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.†
4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.†
7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? †
8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!
9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!†
11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.
12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;†
13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.
Appeal and Warning
14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. †
15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.
17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.†
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?