Job 34:2

“For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”

Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!

For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil.

that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

Instruct a wise person, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous person, and he will increase in learning.

For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.

Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who is wise listens to counsel.

“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.”

as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,

I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.

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

Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,

“Teach me, and I will hold my peace. Cause me to understand my error.

For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’

Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.

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.

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

Brothers, don’t be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.

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,

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice.

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

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

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice, cried out, and said to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.

Worthless men were gathered to him, wicked fellows who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them.

As he talked with him, the king said to him, “Have we made you one of the king’s counselors? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped, and said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel.”

According to the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;

Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

Look at this. We have searched it. It is so. Hear it, and know it for your good.”

Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.

Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?

“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare

“I have heard many such things. You are all miserable comforters!

“How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.

“However, Job, please hear my speech, and listen to all my words.

Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.

“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

“If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.

Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me:

“Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.

that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

Every prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposes folly.

If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.

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;

“Remember this, and show yourselves men. Bring it to mind again, you transgressors.

Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness.

As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them had the face of an ox on the left side. The four of them also had the face of an eagle.

At that time, Jesus answered, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.

“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?

He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,

He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”

But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,

Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,

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,

Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God.”

Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers?

I speak as to wise men. Judge what I say.

Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled?

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.

For you all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted.

For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

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

Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away.

I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.