Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.
A wise child accepts a parent's discipline; a mocker refuses to listen to correction.
Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.
Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.
Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
The godly hate lies; the wicked cause shame and disgrace.
Godliness guards the path of the blameless, but the evil are misled by sin.
Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.
The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won't even get threatened.
The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.
Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.
Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed.
The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.
A person with good sense is respected; a treacherous person is headed for destruction.
Wise people think before they act; fools don't - and even brag about their foolishness.
An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing.
If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.
It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.
Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.
Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous.
Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner's wealth passes to the godly.
A poor person's farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away.
Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.
The godly eat to their hearts' content, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam - that is, Christ - is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.
What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? "
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.