Ecclesiastes 12:9

it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.

Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you,

The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother.

A foolish son brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.

It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge, nor being hasty with one’s feet and missing the way.

Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

The rod of correction gives wisdom, but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.

But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect.

He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs numbered one thousand five.

Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom.

Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.

The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit; and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.

The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.

These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

“Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.

For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

yes, making it my aim to preach the Good News, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another’s foundation.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.

For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.

A wise son listens to his father’s instruction, but a scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke.

A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping.

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them.

He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and he stayed there.

But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,

which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house,

we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.

We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.

Let all things be done decently and in order.

yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,

If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood, but the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”

Let our lord now command your servants who are in front of you to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. Then when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will play with his hand, and you will be well.”

“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit

He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Direct me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in them.

for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

A fool despises his father’s correction, but he who heeds reproof shows prudence.

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.

Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?

A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.

Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off. The women will come and set them on fire, for they are a people of no understanding. Therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them, and he who formed them will show them no favor.

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily.

The king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s dainties, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at its end they should stand before the king.

Therefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness.

“The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”

I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me and loved them, even as you loved me.

Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly.

Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

or service, let’s give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching;

Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him?

For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News.

But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.

not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,

He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

He who robs his father and drives away his mother, is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.