20. In Praise of Wisdom (Proverbs 8:1~24)

8:1. Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
8:2. She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
8:3. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
8:4. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
8:5. O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
8:6. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
8:7. For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8:8. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.
8:9. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
8:10. Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
8:11. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
8:12. I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
8:13. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
8:14. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
8:15. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
8:16. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
8:17. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
8:18. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
8:19. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
8:20. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
8:21. That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
8:22. The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
8:23. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
8:24. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

19. In Praise of the Creator (Psalms 104:1~4, 10~16)

104:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
104:2. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
104:3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
104:4. Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
104:10. He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
104:11. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench heir thirst.
104:12. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
104:13. He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
104:14. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
104:15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.
104:16. The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted.

18. The Love of God (Psalms 103:1~22)

103:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
103:2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
103:4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
103:6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
103:7. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
103:8. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
103:9. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
103:10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
103:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
103:14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
103:15. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
103:16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more.
103:17. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
103:18. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
103:19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
103:20. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
103:21. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
103:22. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

17. Praise and Thanksgiving (Psalms 65:1~13)

65:1. Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
65:2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
65:3. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.
65:4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
65:5. By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
65:6. Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
65:7. Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
65:8. They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
65:9. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
65:10. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
65:11. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
65:12. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
65:13. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

16. A Prayer for Forgiveness (Psalms 51:1~19)

51:1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
51:2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
51:3. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
51:4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
51:5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
51:6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
51:7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
51:8. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
51:9. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
51:10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
51:11. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
51:12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
51:13. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
51:14. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
51:15. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
51:16. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
51:17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
51:18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
51:19. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

15. God is with Us (Psalms 46:1~11)

46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
46:2. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
46:3. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
46:4. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
46:5. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
46:6. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
46:7. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
46:8. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
46:9. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
46:10. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
46:11. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

14. The LORD is Our Shepherd (Psalms 23:1~6)

23:1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
23:2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
23:3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
23:5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
23:6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

13. True Happiness (Psalms 1:1~6)

1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
1:2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
1:3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
1:4. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
1:5. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
1:6. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

12. Solomon Judges a Difficult Case (1 Kings 3:16~28)

3:16. Then came there two women, that were harlot, unto the king, and stood before him.
3:17. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
3:18. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
3:19. And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
3:20. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
3:21. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
3:22. And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
3:23. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
3:24. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
3:25. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
3:26. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
3:27. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
3:28. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

11. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1~17)

20:1. And God spake all these words, saying,
20:2. I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
20:3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
20:4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
20:5. thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.
20:6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
20:7. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
20:8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
20:9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
20:10. but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.
20:11. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
20:12. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
20:13. Thou shalt not kill.
20:14. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
20:15. Thou shalt not steal.
20:16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
20:17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.