Daily Text and Bible Reading: Saturday, July 19 [Press play below]

1.1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, the king of Israel:
1.2 To learn wisdom and discipline; To understand wise sayings;
1.3 To acquire the discipline that gives insight, Righteousness, good judgment, and uprightness;
1.4 To impart shrewdness to the inexperienced; To give a young man knowledge and thinking ability.
1.5 A wise person listens and takes in more instruction; A man of understanding acquires skillful direction
1.6 To understand a proverb and a puzzling saying, The words of the wise and their riddles.
1.7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.
1.8 Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, And do not forsake the instruction of your mother.
1.9 They are an attractive wreath for your head And a fine ornament for your neck.
1.10 My son, if sinners try to entice you, do not consent.
1.11 If they say: “Come with us. Let us set an ambush to shed blood. We will lie hidden, waiting for innocent victims without cause.
1.12 We will swallow them alive as the Grave does, Whole, like those going down to the pit.
1.13 Let us seize all their precious treasures; We will fill our houses with spoil.
1.14 You should join us, And we will all share equally what we steal.”
1.15 My son, do not follow them. Keep your feet off their path,
1.16 For their feet run to do evil; They hurry to shed blood.
1.17 It is surely in vain to spread a net in full sight of a bird.
1.18 That is why these lie in ambush to shed blood; They lie hidden to take the lives of others.
1.19 These are the ways of those seeking dishonest profit, Which will take away the life of those who obtain it.
1.20 True wisdom cries aloud in the street. It keeps raising its voice in the public squares.
1.21 At the corner of the busy streets it calls out. At the entrances of the city gates it says:
1.22 “How long will you inexperienced ones love inexperience? How long will you ridiculers take pleasure in ridicule? And how long will you foolish ones hate knowledge?
1.23 Respond to my reproof. Then I will pour out my spirit for you; I will make my words known to you.
1.24 Because I called out, but you kept refusing, I stretched out my hand, but no one was paying attention,
1.25 You kept neglecting all my advice And rejecting my reproof,
1.26 I also will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when what you dread comes,
1.27 When what you dread comes like a storm, And your disaster arrives like a storm wind, When distress and trouble come upon you.
1.28 At that time they will keep calling me, but I will not answer; They will eagerly look for me, but they will not find me,
1.29 Because they hated knowledge, And they did not choose to fear Jehovah.
1.30 They refused my advice; They disrespected all my reproof.
1.31 So they will bear the consequences of their way, And they will be glutted with their own counsel.
1.32 For the waywardness of the inexperienced will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
1.33 But the one listening to me will dwell in security And be undisturbed by the dread of calamity.”

2.1 My son, if you accept my sayings And treasure up my commandments,
2.2 By making your ear attentive to wisdom And inclining your heart to discernment;
2.3 Moreover, if you call out for understanding And raise your voice for discernment;
2.4 If you keep seeking for it as for silver, And you keep searching for it as for hidden treasures;
2.5 Then you will understand the fear of Jehovah, And you will find the knowledge of God.
2.6 For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; From his mouth come knowledge and discernment.
2.7 He treasures up practical wisdom for the upright; He is a shield for those walking in integrity.
2.8 He watches over the paths of justice, And he will guard the way of his loyal ones.
2.9 Then you will understand what is righteous and just and fair, The entire course of what is good.
2.10 When wisdom enters your heart And knowledge becomes pleasant to your soul,
2.11 Thinking ability will keep watch over you, And discernment will safeguard you,
2.12 To save you from the bad course, From the man speaking perverse things,
2.13 From those leaving the upright paths To walk in the ways of darkness,
2.14 From those who rejoice in wrongdoing, Who find joy in the perverseness of evil,
2.15 Those whose paths are crooked And whose entire course is devious.
2.16 It will save you from the wayward woman, From the smooth words of the immoral woman,
2.17 Who abandons the close companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God;
2.18 For her house sinks down into death, And her paths lead to those powerless in death.
2.19 None of those having relations with her will return, Nor will they regain the pathways of life.
2.20 So follow the way of good people And stay on the paths of the righteous,
2.21 For only the upright will reside in the earth, And the blameless will remain in it.
2.22 As for the wicked, they will be cut off from the earth, And the treacherous will be torn away from it.
3.1 My son, do not forget my teaching, And may your heart observe my commandments,
3.2 Because they will add many days And years of life and peace to you.
3.3 Do not let loyal love and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; Write them on the tablet of your heart;
3.4 Then you will find favor and good insight In the eyes of God and man.
3.5 Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, And do not rely on your own understanding.
3.6 In all your ways take notice of him, And he will make your paths straight.
3.7 Do not become wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad.
3.8 It will be a healing to your body And refreshment for your bones.
3.9 Honor Jehovah with your valuable things, With the firstfruits of all your produce;
3.10 Then your storehouses will be completely filled, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
3.11 My son, do not reject the discipline of Jehovah, And do not loathe his reproof,
3.12 For those whom Jehovah loves he reproves, Just as a father does a son in whom he delights.
3.13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom And the man who acquires discernment;
3.14 To gain it is better than gaining silver, And having it as profit is better than having gold.
3.15 It is more precious than corals; Nothing you desire can compare to it.
3.16 Long life is in its right hand; Riches and glory are in its left hand.
3.17 Its ways are pleasant, And all its paths are peaceful.
3.18 It is a tree of life to those who take hold of it, And those who keep firm hold of it will be called happy.
3.19 Jehovah founded the earth in wisdom. He solidly established the heavens in discernment.
3.20 By his knowledge the watery deeps were split apart And the cloudy skies dripped with dew.
3.21 My son, do not lose sight of them. Safeguard practical wisdom and thinking ability;
3.22 They will give you life And be an adornment for your neck;
3.23 Then you will walk on your way in safety, And your foot will never stumble.
3.24 When you lie down, you will have no fear; You will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.
3.25 You will not fear any sudden terror Nor the storm that is coming on the wicked.
3.26 For Jehovah will prove to be your source of confidence; He will keep your foot from being caught.
3.27 Do not withhold good from those to whom you should give it If it is within your power to help.
3.28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go away; come back later! I will give it to you tomorrow,” If you can give it now.
3.29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor When he lives in a sense of security with you.
3.30 Do not quarrel with a man for no reason If he has done nothing bad to you.
3.31 Do not envy the violent man Nor choose any of his ways,
3.32 For Jehovah detests a devious person, But His close friendship is with the upright.
3.33 The curse of Jehovah is on the house of the wicked one, But he blesses the home of the righteous.
3.34 For he mocks those who ridicule, But he shows favor to the meek.
3.35 The wise will inherit honor, But the stupid ones glorify dishonor.

4.1 Listen, my sons, to the discipline of a father; Pay attention in order to gain understanding,
4.2 For I will give you good instruction; Do not forsake my teaching.
4.3 I was a true son to my father And the one especially loved by my mother.
4.4 He taught me and said: “May your heart hold fast to my words. Keep my commandments and continue living.
4.5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding. Do not forget, and do not turn aside from what I say.
4.6 Do not forsake it, and it will protect you. Love it, and it will safeguard you.
4.7 Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom, And with all you acquire, acquire understanding.
4.8 Highly esteem it, and it will exalt you. It will honor you because you embrace it.
4.9 It will place an attractive wreath on your head; It will adorn you with a crown of beauty.”
4.10 Listen, my son, and accept my sayings, And the years of your life will be many.
4.11 I will instruct you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you in the tracks of uprightness.
4.12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; And if you run, you will not stumble.
4.13 Hold on to discipline; do not let it go. Safeguard it, for it means your life.
4.14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil men.
4.15 Shun it, do not take it; Turn away from it, and pass it by.
4.16 For they cannot sleep unless they do what is bad. They are robbed of sleep unless they cause someone’s downfall.
4.17 They feed themselves with the bread of wickedness, And they drink the wine of violence.
4.18 But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light That grows brighter and brighter until full daylight.
4.19 The way of the wicked is like the darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.
4.20 My son, pay attention to my words; Listen carefully to my sayings.
4.21 Do not lose sight of them; Keep them deep within your heart,
4.22 For they are life to those who find them And health to their whole body.
4.23 Above all the things that you guard, safeguard your heart, For out of it are the sources of life.
4.24 Put crooked speech away from you, And keep devious talk far away from you.
4.25 Your eyes should look straight ahead, Yes, fix your gaze straight ahead of you.
4.26 Smooth out the course of your feet, And all your ways will be sure.
4.27 Do not incline to the right or the left. Turn your feet away from what is bad.