One Year Bible.

The Reply of the Tongue Is from the LORD

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.

⁴The LORD has made everything for His purpose—

even the wicked for the day of disaster.

⁵Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD;

be assured that he will not go unpunished.

⁶By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,

and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.

⁷When a man’s ways please the LORD,

He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.

⁸Better a little with righteousness

than great gain with injustice.

⁹A man’s heart plans his course,

but the LORD determines his steps.

¹⁰A divine verdict is on the lips of a king;

his mouth must not betray justice.

¹¹Honest scales and balances are from the LORD;

all the weights in the bag are His concern.

¹²Wicked behavior is detestable for kings,

for a throne is established through righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are a king’s delight,

and he who speaks honestly is beloved.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is a messenger of death,

but a wise man will pacify it.

¹⁵When a king’s face brightens, there is life;

his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.

¹⁶How much better to acquire wisdom than gold!

To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.

¹⁷The highway of the upright leads away from evil;

he who guards his way protects his life.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁹It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble

than to divide the spoil with the proud.

²⁰Whoever heeds instruction will find success,

and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

²¹The wise in heart are called discerning,

and pleasant speech promotes instruction.

²²Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor,

but the discipline of fools is folly.

²³The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth

and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end is the way of death.

²⁶A worker’s appetite works for him

because his hunger drives him onward.

²⁷A worthless man digs up evil,

and his speech is like a scorching fire.

²⁸A perverse man spreads dissension,

and a gossip divides close friends.

²⁹A violent man entices his neighbor

and leads him down a path that is not good.

³⁰He who winks his eye devises perversity;

he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

³¹Gray hair is a crown of glory;

it is attained along the path of righteousness.

³²He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior,

and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is from the LORD.

Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness

¹Better a dry morsel in quietness

than a house full of feasting with strife.

²A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

³A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold,

but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

⁴A wicked man listens to evil lips;

a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

⁵He who mocks the poor insults their Maker;

whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

⁶Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

and the glory of a son is his father.

⁷Eloquent words are unfit for a fool;

how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

⁸A bribe is a charm to its giver;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁹Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,

but he who brings it up separates friends.

¹⁰A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment

deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion;

a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹²It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool in his folly.

¹³If anyone returns evil for good,

evil will never leave his house.

¹⁴To start a quarrel is to release a flood;

so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—

both are detestable to the LORD.

¹⁶Why should the fool have money in his hand

with no intention of buying wisdom?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge

and puts up security for his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves transgression loves strife;

he who builds his gate high invites destruction.

²⁰The one with a perverse heart finds no good,

and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

²¹A man fathers a fool to his own grief;

the father of a fool has no joy.

²²A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man takes a covert bribe

to subvert the course of justice.

²⁴Wisdom is the focus of the discerning,

but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶It is surely not good to punish the innocent

or to flog a noble for his honesty.

²⁷A man of knowledge restrains his words,

and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

²⁸Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning when he holds his tongue.

Reproof and Respect

¹Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father.

Treat younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

Honoring True Widows

³Honor the widows who are truly widows. ⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show godliness to their own family and repay their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

⁵The widow who is truly in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers. ⁶But she who lives for pleasure is dead even while she is still alive.

⁷Give these instructions to the believers, so that they will be above reproach. ⁸If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹A widow should be enrolled if she is at least sixty years old, faithful to her husband, ¹⁰and well known for good deeds such as bringing up children, entertaining strangers, washing the feet of the saints, imparting relief to the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.

¹¹But refuse to enroll younger widows. For when their passions draw them away from Christ, they will want to marry, ¹²and thus will incur judgment because they are setting aside their first faith. ¹³At the same time they will also learn to be idle, going from house to house and being not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, discussing things they should not mention.

¹⁴So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander. ¹⁵For some have already turned aside to follow Satan.

¹⁶If any believing woman has dependent widows, she must assist them and not allow the church to be burdened, so that it can help the widows who are truly in need.

Honoring Elders

¹⁷Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”

¹⁹Do not entertain an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁰But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.

A Charge to Timothy

²¹I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.

²²Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

²³Stop drinking only water and use a little wine instead, because of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

²⁴The sins of some men are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment; but the sins of others do not surface until later. ²⁵In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even the ones that are inconspicuous cannot remain hidden.

Serving with Honor

¹All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited. ²Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles.

Reject False Doctrines

³If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, ⁴he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes about words, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, ⁵and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.

Godliness with Contentment

⁶Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

⁹Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Fight the Good Fight

¹¹But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.

¹³I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate: ¹⁴Keep this commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which the blessed and only Sovereign One— the King of kings and Lord of lords— will bring about in His own time. ¹⁶He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

A Charge to the Rich

¹⁷Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. ¹⁸Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Guard the Faith

²⁰O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,” ²¹which some have professed and thus swerved away from the faith.

Grace be with you all.