Wisdom of Solomon 11:1-12:11
1 Wisdom prospered their works by the hand of a holy prophet.
2 They traveled through an uninhabited desert
And pitched their tents in impassable places.
3 They held their ground in wars
And defended themselves against their enemies.
4 They thirsted and called upon You,
And water was given them from a flinty rock,
And a quenching of thirst from a hard stone;
5 For through the things by which their enemies were punished,
They themselves when in need
Had kindness shown to them.
6 In place of a spring of an ever-flowing river,
Troubled and defiled with blood,
7 In rebuke of the decree to slay the infants—
You gave them abundant water unexpectedly,
8 Showing through their thirst at that time
How You punished their enemies.
9 For when they were tested,
Though they were disciplined in mercy,
They learned how the ungodly were tormented
When judged in wrath.
10 For You tested them, admonishing them like a father,
But You examined the ungodly
Like a severe king passing sentence.
11 Whether present or absent,
They were likewise consumed,
12 For twofold grief possessed them
And a groaning over the memory of all that happened.
13 For when they heard that through their own punishments
The holy people had kindness shown to them,
They understood it was the Lord’s doing.
14 For they marveled at the outcome of the man
They had cast out mockingly and exposed long before,
For they did not thirst for godliness as do the righteous.
15 In return for the wrongdoing of their senseless reasoning,
In which they were led astray
And worshiped irrational serpents and worthless animals,
You sent upon them a multitude of animals in vengeance,
16 So they might learn that one is punished
By the things by which he sins.
17 For Your all-powerful hand,
Which created the world out of unformed matter,
Did not lack the resource to send upon them
A multitude of bears or bold lions,
18 Or newly created unknown beasts full of anger,
Either snorting a breath of fire
Or scattering like chaff a thick cloud of smoke,
Or flashing terrible sparks from their eyes.
19 Not only could their damage utterly destroy men,
But their mere outward appearance could terrify and kill them.
20 Even without these, men could fall in a single breath
When they are pursued by justice
And scattered like chaff by the breath of Your power;
But You have ordered all things by measure, number, and weight.
The God Who Loves Mankind
21 For great power is always present with You,
And who can oppose the might of Your arm?
22 Because the entire world before You
Is like a small additional weight on scales,
And like a drop of dew early in the morning
That falls on the ground.
23 But You are merciful to all, for You can do all things;
And You overlook the sins of men to bring them to repentance.
24 For You love all the things that exist,
And You detest nothing of the things You made;
For You would not even make anything You hated.
25 How could anything continue to exist unless You willed it?
Or how could anything be preserved
Unless it was called into existence by You?
26 You spare all things, because they are Yours,
O Master who love human beings.
1 For Your immortal Spirit is in all things.
2 For this reason You correct little by little those who fall away,
And You remind and warn them of the sins they commit
So they may be freed from evil and believe in You, O Lord.
The Canaanites’ Vice
3 For You hated the inhabitants of Your holy land long ago,
4 Because they practiced very hateful works of sorcery and unholy rites.
5 These unmerciful murderers of children
Who ate sacrificial meals of human flesh and blood,
These initiates in the midst of an orgy,
6 These parents and murderers of helpless children—
You willed to destroy by the hands of our fathers,
7 That the land most precious of all to You
Might be a worthy colony of the servants of God.
8 But even these You spared, since they were men,
And sent wasps as forerunners of Your army
That You might destroy them little by little.
9 You were not powerless to give the ungodly
To the righteous in regular battle,
Or to destroy them by terrible wild beasts
Or by one severe word;
10 But judging them little by little
You gave them a chance for repentance,
For You were not unaware that their generation was evil,
Their vice implanted,
And their reasoning would not change forever.
11 For they were an accursed seed from the beginning,
Nor did You give them amnesty for their sins
Because You feared anyone.
Psalm 57
1 For the End; corrupt not; by David; for a pillar inscription.
2 If, then, you truly speak of righteousness,
Do you judge rightly, O you sons of men?
3 For in your heart you work lawlessness in the earth;
Your hands weave unrighteousness.
4 Sinners are alienated from the womb;
From birth they are led astray; they speak lies.
5 Their anger is according to the likeness of a serpent;
Like a deaf asp that stops its ears,
6 Which will not listen to the sound of charms,
Nor to an enchantment of a skillful charmer.
7 God shattered their teeth in their mouths;
The Lord broke the teeth of the lions.
8 They shall pass along like water running through;
He will bend His bow until they are weakened.
9 Like melting wax they will be destroyed;
Fire fell on them, and they never saw the sun.
10 Before your thorns are aware of its prickly shrub,
He will swallow you up, as if you were alive, as if in His anger.
11 A righteous man shall be glad when he sees the vengeance of the ungodly;
He shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.
12 A man will say, “If indeed there is fruit for the righteous man,
Then it is God who judges them on the earth.”
Proverbs 12:1–5
1 He who loves instruction loves perception,
But he who hates correction is without discernment.
2 He who finds grace from the Lord becomes better,
But a lawless man will be passed over in silence.
3 A man will not prosper by lawlessness,
But the roots of righteous men will not be pulled out.
4 A courageous wife is a crown to her husband,
But as a worm in a tree, so an evildoing wife destroys her husband.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are judgments,
But the ungodly devise deceits.
1 Corinthians 14:1–25
1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
Tongues Must Be Interpreted
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?
7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?
8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.
10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance.
11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.
12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?
17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;
19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Tongues a Sign to Unbelievers
20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
21 In the law it is written:
“With men of other tongues and other lips
I will speak to this people;
And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,”
says the Lord.
22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.
23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.
25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.