One Year Bible.

The Man of Integrity

¹Better a poor man who walks with integrity

than a fool whose lips are perverse.

²Even zeal is no good without knowledge,

and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.

³A man’s own folly subverts his way,

yet his heart rages against the LORD.

⁴Wealth attracts many friends,

but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished,

and one who utters lies will not escape.

⁶Many seek the favor of the prince,

and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.

⁷All the brothers of a poor man hate him —

how much more do his friends avoid him!

He may pursue them with pleading,

but they are nowhere to be found.

⁸He who acquires wisdom loves himself;

one who safeguards understanding will find success.

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished,

and one who pours out lies will perish.

¹⁰Luxury is unseemly for a fool—

how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

¹¹A man’s insight gives him patience,

and his virtue is to overlook an offense.

¹²A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,

but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is his father’s ruin,

and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.

¹⁴Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers,

but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

¹⁵Laziness brings on deep sleep,

and an idle soul will suffer hunger.

¹⁶He who keeps a commandment preserves his soul,

but he who is careless in his ways will die.

¹⁷Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD,

and He will repay the lender.

¹⁸Discipline your son, for in that there is hope;

do not be party to his death.

¹⁹A man of great anger must pay the penalty;

if you rescue him, you will have to do so again.

²⁰Listen to counsel and accept discipline,

that you may be wise the rest of your days.

²¹Many plans are in a man’s heart,

but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

²²The desire of a man is loving devotion;

better to be poor than a liar.

²³The fear of the LORD leads to life,

that one may rest content, without visitation from harm.

²⁴The slacker buries his hand in the dish;

he will not even bring it back to his mouth.

²⁵Strike a mocker, and the simple will beware;

rebuke the discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.

²⁶He who assaults his father or evicts his mother

is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷If you cease to hear instruction, my son,

you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks justice,

and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.

²⁹Judgments are prepared for mockers,

and beatings for the backs of fools.

Wine Is a Mocker

¹Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler,

and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

²The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion;

whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.

³It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute,

but any fool will quarrel.

⁴The slacker does not plow in season;

at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

⁵The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters,

but a man of understanding draws them out.

⁶Many a man proclaims his loving devotion,

but who can find a trustworthy man?

⁷The righteous man walks with integrity;

blessed are his children after him.

⁸A king who sits on a throne to judge

sifts out all evil with his eyes.

⁹Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;

I am cleansed from my sin”?

¹⁰Differing weights and unequal measures—

both are detestable to the LORD.

¹¹Even a young man is known by his actions—

whether his conduct is pure and upright.

¹²Ears that hear and eyes that see—

the LORD has made them both.

¹³Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor;

open your eyes, and you will have plenty of food.

¹⁴“Worthless, worthless!” says the buyer,

but on the way out, he gloats.

¹⁵There is an abundance of gold and rubies,

but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure.

¹⁶Take the garment of the one who posts security for a stranger;

get collateral if it is for a foreigner.

¹⁷Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man,

but later his mouth is full of gravel.

¹⁸Set plans by consultation,

and wage war under sound guidance.

¹⁹He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip;

avoid the one who babbles with his lips.

²⁰Whoever curses his father or mother,

his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.

²¹An inheritance gained quickly

will not be blessed in the end.

²²Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!”

Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.

²³Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD,

and dishonest scales are no good.

²⁴A man’s steps are from the LORD,

so how can anyone understand his own way?

²⁵It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly,

only later to reconsider his vows.

²⁶A wise king separates out the wicked

and drives the threshing wheel over them.

²⁷The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD,

searching out his inmost being.

²⁸Loving devotion and faithfulness preserve a king;

by these he maintains his throne.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength,

and gray hair is the splendor of the old.

³⁰Lashes and wounds scour evil,

and beatings cleanse the inmost parts.

Paul’s Greeting to Timothy

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,

²To Timothy, my beloved child:

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

Faithfulness under Persecution

³I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers. ⁴Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

⁵I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.

⁶For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

⁸So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God. ⁹He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began. ¹⁰And now He has revealed this grace through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel, ¹¹to which I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.

¹²For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.

Holding to Sound Teaching

¹³Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

¹⁵You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he has often refreshed me and was unashamed of my chains. ¹⁷Indeed, when he arrived in Rome, he searched diligently until he found me.

¹⁸May the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy on that day. You know very well how much he ministered to me in Ephesus.

Grace and Perseverance

¹You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.

³Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴A soldier refrains from entangling himself in civilian affairs, in order to please the one who enlisted him. ⁵Likewise, a competitor does not receive the crown unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶The hardworking farmer should be the first to partake of the crops. ⁷Consider what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all things.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David, as proclaimed by my gospel, ⁹for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained! ¹⁰For this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

¹¹This is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with Him,

we will also live with Him;

¹²if we endure,

we will also reign with Him;

if we deny Him,

He will also deny us;

¹³if we are faithless,

He remains faithful,

for He cannot deny Himself.

The Lord’s Approved Workman

¹⁴Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin.

¹⁵Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.

¹⁶But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness, ¹⁷and the talk of such men will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸who have deviated from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already occurred, and they undermine the faith of some.

¹⁹Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”

²⁰A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use. ²¹So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.

²²Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

²³But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. ²⁴And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. ²⁵He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. ²⁶Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.