Ecclesiastes 8:5

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.

Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.

Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior;

Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times (for it was the king’s custom to consult those who knew law and judgment;

He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.

In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world.

Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.

By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.

When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.

He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”

One who has my commandments and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.”

Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions.

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving,

Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.

He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.

This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and ate from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.

Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

A nation which you don’t know will eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always,

Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

The king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn, and kill the priests of Yahweh; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and didn’t disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king wouldn’t put out their hand to fall on the priests of Yahweh.

Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”

They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Whoever despises instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command will be rewarded.

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, “Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.

Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you don’t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who is that god that will deliver you out of my hands?”

Then they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of Ahab’s house. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and her inhabitants a hissing; And you will bear the reproach of my people.”

Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known.

Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.

Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.

To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith with power,

make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.

But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people; but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.

For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food.

Let my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be disappointed.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.

Evil men don’t understand justice; but those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.

This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears;

Therefore Yahweh says, “If you return, then I will bring you again, that you may stand before me; and if you take out the precious from the vile, you will be as my mouth. They will return to you, but you will not return to them.

Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him recognize the things which I write to you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.

don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,

We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.

that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.

Of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their heads were two hundred; and all their brothers were at their command.

Then I wouldn’t be disappointed, when I consider all of your commandments.

Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.

A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.

Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment; Because he is intent in his pursuit of idols.

He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves,

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one.

For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

But God’s love has most certainly been perfected in whoever keeps his word. This is how we know that we are in him: