Through the Bible – Day 258

Bible text(s)

Proverbs 26

Don't be a fool

₁Expecting snow in summer

and rain in the dry season

makes more sense

than honouring a fool.

₂A curse you don't deserve

will take wings and fly away

like a sparrow or a swallow.

₃Horses and donkeys

must be beaten and bridled—

and so must fools.

₄Don't make a fool of yourself

by answering a fool.

₅But if you answer any fools,

show how foolish they are,

so they won't feel clever.

₆Sending a message by a fool

is like chopping off your foot

and drinking poison.

₇A fool with words of wisdom

is like an athlete

with legs that can't move.

₈Are you going to honour a fool?

Why not shoot a slingshot

with the stone tied tight?

₉A thorn bush waved around

in the hand of a drunkard

is no worse than a proverb

in the mouth of a fool.

₁₀It's no cleverer to shoot arrows

at every passer-by

than it is to hire a bunch

of worthless nobodies.

₁₁Dogs return to eat their vomit,

just as fools repeat

their foolishness.

₁₂There is more hope for a fool

than for someone who says,

“I'm really clever!”

₁₃Don't be lazy and keep saying,

“There's a lion outside!”

₁₄A door turns on its hinges,

but a lazy person

just turns over in bed.

₁₅Some of us are so lazy

that we won't lift a hand

to feed ourselves.

₁₆A lazy person says,

“I am cleverer

than everyone else.”

₁₇It's better to take hold

of a mad dog by the ears

than to take part

in someone else's argument.

₁₈It's no crazier to shoot

sharp and flaming arrows

₁₉than to cheat someone and say,

“I was only fooling!”

₂₀Where there is no fuel

a fire goes out;

where there is no gossip

arguments come to an end.

₂₁Troublemakers start trouble,

just as sparks and fuel

start a fire.

₂₂There is nothing so delicious

as the taste of gossip!

It melts in your mouth.

₂₃Hiding hateful thoughts

behind smooth talk

is like coating a clay pot

with a cheap glaze.

₂₄The pleasant talk

of an enemy

hides more evil plans

₂₅than can be counted—

so don't believe a word!

₂₆Everyone will see through

those evil plans.

₂₇If you dig a pit,

you will fall in;

if you start a stone rolling,

it will roll back on you.

₂₈Watch out for anyone

who tells lies and flatters—

they are out to get you.

Proverbs 26:1-28CEVOpen in Bible reader

2 Corinthians 11

Paul and the false apostles

₁Please put up with a little of my foolishness. ₂I am as concerned about you as God is. You were like a virgin bride I had chosen only for Christ. ₃But now I fear that you will be tricked, just as Eve was tricked by that lying snake. I am afraid that you might stop thinking about Christ in an honest and sincere way. ₄We told you about Jesus, and you received the Holy Spirit and accepted our message. But you let some people tell you about another Jesus. Now you are ready to receive another spirit and accept a different message. ₅I think I am as good as any of those super apostles. ₆I may not speak as well as they do, but I know as much. And this has already been made perfectly clear to you.

₇Was it wrong for me to lower myself and honour you by preaching God's message free of charge? ₈I robbed other churches by taking money from them to serve you. ₉Even when I was in need, I still didn't bother you. In fact, some of the Lord's followers from Macedonia brought me what I needed. I have not been a burden to you in the past, and I will never be a burden. ₁₀As surely as I speak the truth about Christ, no one in Achaia can stop me from boasting about this. ₁₁And it isn't because I don't love you. God himself knows how much I do love you.

₁₂I plan to go on doing just what I have always done. Then those people won't be able to boast about doing the same things we are doing. ₁₃Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. ₁₄And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. ₁₅So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Some day they will get exactly what they deserve.

Paul's sufferings for Christ

₁₆I don't want any of you to think that I am a fool. But if you do, then let me be a fool and boast a little. ₁₇When I do all this boasting, I do it as a fool and not for the Lord. ₁₈Yet if others want to boast about what they have done, so will I. ₁₉And since you are so clever, you will gladly put up with a fool. ₂₀In fact, you let people make slaves of you and cheat you and steal from you. Why, you even let them strut around and slap you in the face. ₂₁I am ashamed to say that we are too weak to behave in such a way.

If they can boast, so can I, but it is a foolish thing to do. ₂₂Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? Well, so am I. ₂₃Are they servants of Christ? I am a fool to talk this way, but I serve him better than they do. I have worked harder and have been put in jail more times. I have been beaten with whips more and have been in danger of death more often.

₂₄Five times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes with a whip. ₂₅Three times the Romans beat me with a big stick, and once my enemies stoned me. I have been shipwrecked three times, and I even had to spend a night and a day in the sea. ₂₆During my many travels, I have been in danger from rivers, robbers, my own people, and foreigners. My life has been in danger in cities, in deserts, at sea, and with people who only pretended to be the Lord's followers.

₂₇I have worked and struggled and spent many sleepless nights. I have gone hungry and thirsty and often had nothing to eat. I have been cold from not having enough clothes to keep me warm. ₂₈Besides everything else, each day I am burdened down, worrying about all the churches. ₂₉When others are weak, I am weak too. When others are tricked into sin, I get angry.

₃₀If I have to boast, I will boast about how weak I am. ₃₁God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, knows I am not lying. And God is to be praised for ever! ₃₂The governor of Damascus at the time of King Aretas had the city gates guarded, so that he could capture me. ₃₃But I escaped by being let down in a basket through a window in the city wall.

2 Corinthians 11:1-33CEVOpen in Bible reader