Wisdom & Guidance

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. ⁷Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

⁵Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me. ⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. ¹⁰⁰I discern more than the elders, for I obey Your precepts. ¹⁰¹I have kept my feet from every evil path, that I may keep Your word. ¹⁰²I have not departed from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me. ¹⁰³How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth! ¹⁰⁴I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way. ¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

¹Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

¹⁴For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with many counselors comes deliverance.

¹³However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. ¹⁵Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.

⁵See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land that you are about to enter and possess. ⁶Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” ⁷For what nation is great enough to have a god as near to them as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call on Him? ⁸And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?

²⁹The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

⁷Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. ⁸This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.

⁵One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” ⁶Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. ⁷And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. ⁸Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. ⁹Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” ¹⁰Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. ¹¹So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— ¹²behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be.

³²From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command.

¹²Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

¹²But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell? ¹³No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. ¹⁴The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’ ¹⁵It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver. ¹⁶It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. ¹⁷Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it. ¹⁸Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. ¹⁹Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. ²⁰From where, then, does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell? ²¹It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air. ²²Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’ ²³But God understands its way, and He knows its place. ²⁴For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. ²⁵When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters, ²⁶when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt, ²⁷then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out. ²⁸And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

⁸But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

⁴Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. ⁵Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You. ⁸Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way. ⁹He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. ¹⁰All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees. ¹²Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him.

⁸I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you. ⁹Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding; they must be controlled with bit and bridle to make them come to you.

⁵Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. ²³The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey. ²⁴Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.

¹⁴For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even till death.

²³Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. ²⁴You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.

¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word. ¹⁰With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments. ¹¹I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. ²⁴Your testimonies are indeed my delight; they are my counselors. ⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments. ¹³⁰The unfolding of Your words gives light; it informs the simple.

¹These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, ²for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight, ³and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity. ⁴To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young, ⁵let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel ⁶by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. ⁷The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

¹My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you, ²if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding, ³if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, ⁴if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure, ⁵then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. ⁶For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. ⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity, ⁸to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints. ⁹Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path. ¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul. ¹¹Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,

¹³Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding, ¹⁴for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold. ¹⁵She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her. ¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷All her ways are pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful. ¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them. ⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you. ⁷Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. ⁸Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you. ⁹She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.” ¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many. ¹¹I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths. ¹²When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble. ¹³Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life. ¹⁸The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. ¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble. ²⁰My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. ²¹Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. ²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body. ²³Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life. ²⁴Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech. ²⁵Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. ²⁶Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. ²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.

¹Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice? ²On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand. ³Beside the gates to the city, at the entrances she cries out: ⁴“To you, O men, I call out, and my cry is to the sons of men. ⁵O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding. ⁶Listen, for I speak of noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal right. ⁷For my mouth will speak the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips. ⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous; none are crooked or perverse. ⁹They are all plain to the discerning, and upright to those who find knowledge. ¹⁰Receive my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. ¹¹For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her. ¹²I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. ¹³To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech. ¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength. ¹⁵By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws; ¹⁶By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly. ¹⁷I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me. ¹⁸With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness. ¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, pure gold, and my harvest surpasses choice silver. ²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, ²¹bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹⁵The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.

¹⁰Arrogance leads only to strife, but wisdom is with the well-advised. ²⁰He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them. ¹²There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. ¹⁵The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.

²²Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. ³¹He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. ³²He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. ³³The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

¹The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD. ²All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD. ³Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be achieved. ⁹A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. ¹⁶How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver. ²⁰Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

¹³He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him. ¹⁵The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out. ¹⁷The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

²Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark. ⁸He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success. ²⁰Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. ²¹Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

⁵The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. ¹⁸Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance. ²⁴A man’s steps are from the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?

¹The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases. ²All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. ³To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice. ³⁰There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.

³The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.

³By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; ⁴through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure. ⁵A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength. ⁶Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors. ⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.

⁹Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the counsel of a friend is sweetness to the soul. ¹⁷As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

²⁶He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.

⁵It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. ⁸The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one. ⁹Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool. ¹⁰Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this. ¹¹Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun. ¹²For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner. ¹⁹Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.

²The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. ³And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,

²¹And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

¹⁷Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go.

¹⁶This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’

²³I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.

³Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

¹⁷To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams. ¹⁸Now at the end of the time specified by the king, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. ²⁰In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

²⁰and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. ²¹He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. ²²He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. ²³To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”

⁸He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

²⁴Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”

¹⁶Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. ²⁰For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²⁸Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, ³⁰saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’ ³¹Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³²And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.

¹⁷If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.

³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.” ²⁷My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.

²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.

²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. ⁴So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

²²Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers, ²³and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. ²⁴It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing. ²⁸It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: ²⁹You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

⁶After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. ⁷And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them. ⁸So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

⁶Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ⁷No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. ⁸None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” ¹⁰But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. ¹⁴The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. ¹⁶“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. ¹⁸I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,

¹⁵Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

¹⁴But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. ¹⁵From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

¹⁷But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone. ¹⁹Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him. ²⁰Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do. ²¹Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²²Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you. ²³If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”

¹⁹So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go up,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.” ²³So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” ²⁵So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. ²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.

⁸Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You. Teach me the way I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul. ¹⁰Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

²¹My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment. ²²They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. ²³Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. ²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵Do not fear sudden danger or the ruin that overtakes the wicked, ²⁶for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from the snare.

¹²In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God. ¹³When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles:

¹¹Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

²¹but test all things. Hold fast to what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

¹Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

¹⁰If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.

¹³Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor? ¹⁴Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding?

⁸“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. ⁹“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

⁶Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. ⁷They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” ⁸But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him. ¹³And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders ¹⁴and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”