One Year Bible.

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

¹A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

²The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.

³The eyes of the LORD are in every place,

observing the evil and the good.

⁴A soothing tongue is a tree of life,

but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

⁵A fool rejects his father’s discipline,

but whoever heeds correction is prudent.

⁶The house of the righteous has great treasure,

but the income of the wicked is trouble.

⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge,

but not so the hearts of fools.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD,

but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

⁹The LORD detests the way of the wicked,

but He loves those who pursue righteousness.

¹⁰Discipline is harsh for him who leaves the path;

he who hates correction will die.

¹¹Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD—

how much more the hearts of men!

¹²A mocker does not love to be reproved,

nor will he consult the wise.

¹³A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance,

but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit.

¹⁴A discerning heart seeks knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

¹⁵All the days of the oppressed are bad,

but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the LORD

than great treasure with turmoil.

¹⁷Better a dish of vegetables where there is love

than a fattened ox with hatred.

¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,

but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.

¹⁹The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns,

but the path of the upright is a highway.

²⁰A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment,

but a man of understanding walks a straight path.

²²Plans fail for lack of counsel,

but with many advisers they succeed.

²³A man takes joy in a fitting reply —

and how good is a timely word!

²⁴The path of life leads upward for the wise,

that he may avoid going down to Sheol.

²⁵The LORD tears down the house of the proud,

but He protects the boundaries of the widow.

²⁶The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,

but the words of the pure are pleasant to Him.

²⁷He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household,

but he who hates bribes will live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,

but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.

²⁹The LORD is far from the wicked,

but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

³⁰The light of the eyes cheers the heart,

and good news nourishes the bones.

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.

A Remnant Chosen by Grace

¹I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. ²God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: ³“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?

⁴And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

⁵In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, ⁸as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that could not see,

and ears that could not hear,

to this very day.”

⁹And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution to them.

¹⁰May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.”

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

¹¹I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. ¹²But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

¹³I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, ¹⁸do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

¹⁹You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.

²²Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come from Zion;

He will remove godlessness from Jacob.

²⁷And this is My covenant with them

when I take away their sins.”

²⁸Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. ²⁹For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

³⁰Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, ³¹so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you. ³²For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.

A Hymn of Praise

³³O, the depth of the riches

of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are His judgments,

and untraceable His ways!

³⁴“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been His counselor?”

³⁵“Who has first given to God,

that God should repay him?”

³⁶For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

Paul’s Greeting to Timothy

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

²To Timothy, my true child in the faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Correcting False Teachers

³As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines ⁴or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith.

⁵The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith. ⁶Some have strayed from these ways and turned aside to empty talk. ⁷They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or that which they so confidently assert.

⁸Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. ⁹We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, ¹⁰for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching ¹¹that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

God’s Grace to Paul

¹²I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service. ¹³I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy. ¹⁴And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life. ¹⁷Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸Timothy, my child, I entrust you with this command in keeping with the previous prophecies about you, so that by them you may fight the good fight, ¹⁹holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and thereby shipwrecked their faith. ²⁰Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

A Call to Prayer

¹First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— ²for kings and all those in authority— so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. ³This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

⁵For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave Himself as a ransom for all — the testimony that was given at just the right time.

⁷For this reason I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth; I am not lying about anything. ⁸Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.

Instructions to Women

⁹Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ¹⁰but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.

¹¹A woman must learn in quietness and full submissiveness. ¹²I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; she is to remain quiet. ¹³For Adam was formed first, and then Eve. ¹⁴And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman who was deceived and fell into transgression. ¹⁵Women, however, will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

Qualifications for Overseers

¹This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task. ²An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.

⁴An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity. ⁵For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God? ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil. ⁷Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

⁸Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money. ⁹They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons.

¹¹In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.

¹²A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household. ¹³For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

¹⁴Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these things ¹⁵in case I am delayed, so that you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

¹⁶By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in the flesh,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was proclaimed among the nations,

was believed in throughout the world,

was taken up in glory.

A Warning against Apostasy

¹Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, ²influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

³They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, ⁵because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

A Good Servant of Jesus Christ

⁶By pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of faith and sound instruction that you have followed.

⁷But reject irreverent, silly myths. Instead, train yourself for godliness. ⁸For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come. ⁹This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance.

¹⁰To this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe. ¹¹Command and teach these things.

¹²Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.

¹⁴Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders. ¹⁵Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. ¹⁶Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.