Through the Bible – Day 234

Bible text(s)

Proverbs 2

Wisdom and bad friends

₁My child, you must follow

and treasure my teachings

and my instructions.

₂Keep in tune with wisdom

and think what it means

to have common sense.

₃Beg as loud as you can

for good common sense.

₄Search for wisdom

as you would search for silver

or hidden treasure.

₅Then you will understand

what it means to respect

and to know the LORD God.

₆All wisdom comes from the LORD,

and so do common sense

and understanding.

₇God gives helpful advice

to everyone who obeys him

and protects all those

who live as they should.

₈God sees that justice is done,

and he watches over everyone

who is faithful to him.

₉With wisdom you will learn

what is right

and honest and fair.

₁₀Wisdom will control your mind,

and you will be pleased

with knowledge.

₁₁Sound judgment and good sense

will watch over you.

₁₂Wisdom will protect you

from evil schemes

and from those liars

₁₃who turned from doing good

to live in the darkness.

₁₄Most of all they enjoy

being mean and deceitful.

₁₅They are dishonest themselves,

and all they do is crooked.

Wisdom and sexual purity

₁₆Wisdom will protect you

from the smooth talk

of a sinful woman,

₁₇who breaks her wedding vows

and leaves the man she married

when she was young.

₁₈The road to her house leads

down to the dark world

of the dead.

₁₉Visit her, and you will never

find the road to life again.

₂₀Follow the example

of good people

and live an honest life.

₂₁If you are honest and innocent,

you will keep your land;

₂₂if you do wrong

and can never be trusted,

you will be rooted out.

Proverbs 2:1-22CEVOpen in Bible reader

1 Corinthians 5

Problems in relationships

Immoral followers

₁I have heard terrible things about some of you. In fact, you are behaving worse than the Gentiles. A man is even sleeping with his own stepmother. ₂You are proud, when you ought to feel bad enough to chase away anyone who acts like that.

_3-4I am with you only in my thoughts. But in the name of our Lord Jesus I have already judged this man, as though I were with you in person. So when you meet together and the power of the Lord Jesus is with you, I will be there too. ₅You must then hand that man over to Satan. His body will be destroyed, but his spirit will be saved when the Lord Jesus returns.

₆Stop being proud! Don't you know how a little yeast can spread through the whole batch of dough? ₇Get rid of the old yeast! Then you will be like fresh bread made without yeast, and that is what you are. Our Passover lamb is Christ, who has already been sacrificed. ₈So don't celebrate the festival by being evil and sinful, which is like serving bread made with yeast. Be pure and truthful and celebrate by using bread made without yeast.

₉In my other letter I told you not to have anything to do with immoral people. ₁₀But I wasn't talking about the people of this world. You would have to leave this world to get away from everyone who is immoral or greedy or who cheats or worships idols. ₁₁I was talking about your own people who are immoral or greedy or worship idols or curse others or get drunk or cheat. Don't even eat with them! ₁₂Why should I judge outsiders? Aren't we supposed to judge only church members? ₁₃God judges everyone else. The Scriptures say, “Chase away any of your own people who are evil.”

1 Corinthians 5:1-13CEVOpen in Bible reader