The Living Bible (203 page)
Authors: Inc. Tyndale House Publishers
Tags: #BIBLES / Other Translations / Text
Praise the Lord, O heavens! Praise him from the skies!
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Praise him, all his angels, all the armies of heaven.
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Praise him, sun and moon and all you twinkling stars.
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Praise him, skies above. Praise him, vapors high above the clouds.
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Let everything he has made give praise to him. For he issued his command, and they came into being;
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he established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked.
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And praise him down here on earth, you creatures of the ocean depths.
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Let fire and hail, snow, rain, wind, and weather all obey.
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Let the mountains and hills, the fruit trees and cedars,
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the wild animals and cattle, the snakes and birds,
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the kings and all the people with their rulers and their judges,
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young men and maidens, old men and children—
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all praise the Lord together. For he alone is worthy. His glory is far greater than all of earth and heaven.
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He has made his people strong, honoring his godly ones—the people of Israel, the people closest to him.
Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord!
Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! Sing him a new song. Sing his praises, all his people.
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O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
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Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by drums and lyre.
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For Jehovah enjoys his people; he will save the humble. Let his people rejoice in this honor. Let them sing for joy as they lie upon their beds.
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Adore him, O his people! And take a double-edged sword to execute his punishment upon the nations.
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Bind their kings and leaders with iron chains,
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and execute their sentences.
He is the glory of his people. Hallelujah! Praise him!
Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord!
Praise him in his Temple and in the heavens he made with mighty power.
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Praise him for his mighty works. Praise his unequaled greatness.
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Praise him with the trumpet and with lute and harp.
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Praise him with the drums and dancing. Praise him with stringed instruments and horns.
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Praise him with the cymbals, yes, loud clanging cymbals.
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Let everything alive give praises to the Lord!
You
praise him!
Hallelujah!
These are the proverbs of King Solomon of Israel, David’s son:
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He wrote them to teach his people how to live—how to act in every circumstance,
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for he wanted them to be understanding, just, and fair in everything they did.
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“I want to make the simpleminded wise!” he said. “I want to warn young men about some problems they will face.
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I want those already wise to become wiser and become leaders by exploring the depths of meaning in these nuggets of truth.”
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How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord!
Only fools refuse to be taught. Listen to your father and mother. What you learn from them will stand you in good stead; it will gain you many honors.
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If young toughs tell you, “Come and join us”—turn your back on them!
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“We’ll hide and rob and kill,” they say.
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“Good or bad, we’ll treat them all alike.
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And the loot we’ll get! All kinds of stuff!
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Come on, throw in your lot with us; we’ll split with you in equal shares.”
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Don’t do it, son! Stay far from men like that,
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for crime is their way of life, and murder is their specialty.
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When a bird sees a trap being set, it stays away,
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but not these men; they trap themselves! They lay a booby trap for their own lives.
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Such is the fate of all who live by violence and murder.
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They will die a violent death.
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Wisdom shouts in the streets for a hearing.
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She calls out to the crowds along Main Street, and to the judges in their courts, and to everyone in all the land:
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“You simpletons!” she cries. “How long will you go on being fools? How long will you scoff at wisdom and fight the facts?
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Come here and listen to me! I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise.
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I have called you so often, but still you won’t come. I have pleaded, but all in vain.
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For you have spurned my counsel and reproof.
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Some day you’ll be in trouble, and I’ll laugh! Mock me, will you?—I’ll mock you!
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When a storm of terror surrounds you, and when you are engulfed by anguish and distress,
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then I will not answer your cry for help. It will be too late though you search for me ever so anxiously.
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“For you closed your eyes to the facts and did not choose to reverence and trust the Lord,
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and you turned your back on me, spurning my advice.
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That is why you must eat the bitter fruit of having your own way and experience the full terrors of the pathway you have chosen.
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For you turned away from me—to death; your own complacency will kill you. Fools!
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But all who listen to me shall live in peace and safety, unafraid.”
Every young man who listens to me and obeys my instructions will be given wisdom and good sense.
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Yes, if you want better insight and discernment, and are searching for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure, then wisdom will be given you and knowledge of God himself; you will soon learn the importance of reverence for the Lord and of trusting him.
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For the Lord grants wisdom! His every word is a treasure of knowledge and understanding.
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He grants good sense to the godly—his saints. He is their shield, protecting them and guarding their pathway.
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He shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time.
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For wisdom and truth will enter the very center of your being, filling your life with joy.
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You will be given the sense to stay away from evil men who want you to be their partners in crime—men who turn from God’s ways to walk down dark and evil paths
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and exult in doing wrong, for they thoroughly enjoy their sins.
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Everything they do is crooked and wrong.
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Only wisdom from the Lord can save a man from the flattery of prostitutes; these girls have abandoned their husbands and flouted the laws of God.
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Their houses lie along the road to death and hell.
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The men who enter them are doomed. None of these men will ever be the same again.
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Follow the steps of the godly instead, and stay on the right path,
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for only good men enjoy life to the full;
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evil men lose the good things they might have had,
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and they themselves shall be destroyed.