September 15, 2026

Proverbs18

1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;

he breaks out against all sound judgment.

2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only in expressing his opinion.

3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,

and with dishonor comes disgrace.

4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the righteous of justice.

6 A fool’s lips walk into a fight,

and his mouth invites a beating.

7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

and his lips are a snare to his soul.

8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body.

9 Whoever is slack in his work

is a brother to him who destroys.

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

and like a high wall in his imagination.

12 Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,

but humility comes before honor.

13 If one gives an answer before he hears,

it is his folly and shame.

14 A man’s spirit will endure sickness,

but a crushed spirit who can bear?

15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,

and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

16 A man’s gift makes room for him

and brings him before the great.

17 The one who states his case first seems right,

until the other comes and examines him.

18 The lot puts an end to quarrels

and decides between powerful contenders.

19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,

and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;

he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits.

22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing

and obtains favor from the Lord.

23 The poor use entreaties,

but the rich answer roughly.

24 A man of many companions may come to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs19

1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

2 Desire without knowledge is not good,

and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,

his heart rages against the Lord.

4 Wealth brings many new friends,

but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

5 A false witness will not go unpunished,

and he who breathes out lies will not escape.

6 Many seek the favor of a generous man,

and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

7 All a poor man’s brothers hate him;

how much more do his friends go far from him!

He pursues them with words, but does not have them.

8 Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;

he who keeps understanding will discover good.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,

and he who breathes out lies will perish.

10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,

much less for a slave to rule over princes.

11 Good sense makes one slow to anger,

and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,

but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A foolish son is ruin to his father,

and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.

14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers,

but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,

and an idle person will suffer hunger.

16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;

he who despises his ways will die.

17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,

and he will repay him for his deed.

18 Discipline your son, for there is hope;

do not set your heart on putting him to death.

19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,

for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,

that you may gain wisdom in the future.

21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love,

and a poor man is better than a liar.

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life,

and whoever has it rests satisfied;

he will not be visited by harm.

24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish

and will not even bring it back to his mouth.

25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;

reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother

is a son who brings shame and reproach.

27 Cease to hear instruction, my son,

and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,

and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers,

and beating for the backs of fools.

Proverbs20

1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,

and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;

whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.

3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,

but every fool will be quarreling.

4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;

he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

5 The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water,

but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,

but a faithful man who can find?

7 The righteous who walks in his integrity—

blessed are his children after him!

8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment

winnows all evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;

I am clean from my sin”?

10 Unequal weights and unequal measures

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

11 Even a child makes himself known by his acts,

by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,

the Lord has made them both.

13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;

open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.

14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,

but when he goes away, then he boasts.

15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones,

but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16 Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,

and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.

17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,

but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.

18 Plans are established by counsel;

by wise guidance wage war.

19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets;

therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.

20 If one curses his father or his mother,

his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

21 An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning

will not be blessed in the end.

22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”;

wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

23 Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,

and false scales are not good.

24 A man’s steps are from the Lord;

how then can man understand his way?

25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”

and to reflect only after making vows.

26 A wise king winnows the wicked

and drives the wheel over them.

27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,

searching all his innermost parts.

28 Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,

and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.

29 The glory of young men is their strength,

but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil;

strokes make clean the innermost parts.

Proverbs21

1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;

he turns it wherever he will.

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,

but the Lord weighs the heart.

3 To do righteousness and justice

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

the lamp of the wicked, are sin.

5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,

but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue

is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,

because they refuse to do what is just.

8 The way of the guilty is crooked,

but the conduct of the pure is upright.

9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;

his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

11 When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;

when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;

he throws the wicked down to ruin.

13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor

will himself call out and not be answered.

14 A gift in secret averts anger,

and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.

15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous

but terror to evildoers.

16 One who wanders from the way of good sense

will rest in the assembly of the dead.

17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;

he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,

and the traitor for the upright.

19 It is better to live in a desert land

than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.

20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,

but a foolish man devours it.

21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness

will find life, righteousness, and honor.

22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty

and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue

keeps himself out of trouble.

24 “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man

who acts with arrogant pride.

25 The desire of the sluggard kills him,

for his hands refuse to labor.

26 All day long he craves and craves,

but the righteous gives and does not hold back.

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;

how much more when he brings it with evil intent.

28 A false witness will perish,

but the word of a man who hears will endure.

29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,

but the upright gives thought to his ways.

30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel

can avail against the Lord.

31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

but the victory belongs to the Lord.

2 Corinthians4

The Light of the Gospel

1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.