Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves. The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people.
Praise him, O heaven and earth, the seas and all that move in them. For God will save Jerusalem and rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live there and settle in their own land. The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there in safety.
The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases.
People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.
The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.
Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin.
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.
The violence of the wicked sweeps them away, because they refuse to do what is just.
The guilty walk a crooked path; the innocent travel a straight road.
It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.
Evil people desire evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them.
If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded become wise; if you instruct the wise, they will be all the wiser.
The Righteous One knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked; he will bring disaster on them.
Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.
A secret gift calms anger; a bribe under the table pacifies fury.
Justice is a joy to the godly, but it terrifies evildoers.
The person who strays from common sense will end up in the company of the dead.
Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.
The wicked are punished in place of the godly, and traitors in place of the honest.
It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.
The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.
Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.
The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust.
Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.
Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance.
Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.
Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!
The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives.
A false witness will be cut off, but a credible witness will be allowed to speak.
The wicked bluff their way through, but the virtuous think before they act.
No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord.
The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.