The Bible, quoted
in its own voices.

The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools crowns them with folly. A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful. In the fear of the LORD is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death. In the multitude of people is the king’s glory, but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince. He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

“How do you say, ‘We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war’? Moab is laid waste, and they have gone up into his cities, and his chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter,” says the King, whose name is the LORD of Armies. “The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hurries fast. All you who are around him, bemoan him; and all you who know his name, say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, the beautiful rod!’

But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need, since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor, because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

For the Chief Musician. By David.

In the LORD, I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? For, behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in his holy temple. The LORD is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men. The LORD examines the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and him who loves violence. On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright shall see his face.

“‘The LORD says: “They also who uphold Egypt will fall. The pride of her power will come down. They will fall by the sword in it from the tower of Seveneh,” says the Lord GOD. “They will be desolate in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities will be among the cities that are wasted. They will know that I am the LORD when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are destroyed. “‘“In that day messengers will go out from before me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid. There will be anguish on them, as in the day of Egypt; for, behold, it comes.”

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding. For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.

The earth also is polluted under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. The new wine mourns. The vine languishes. All the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of tambourines ceases. The sound of those who rejoice ends. The joy of the harp ceases. They will not drink wine with a song. Strong drink will be bitter to those who drink it.

I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you— if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.

But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction. It will happen, if you diligently listen to me,” says the LORD, “to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to make the Sabbath day holy, to do no work therein; then there will enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will remain forever. They will come from the cities of Judah, and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, meal offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the LORD’s house. But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem. It will not be quenched.”’”

Again the LORD’s word came to me, saying, “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations; and say, ‘The Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: “Your origin and your birth is of the land of the Canaanite. An Amorite was your father, and your mother was a Hittite. As for your birth, in the day you were born your navel was not cut. You weren’t washed in water to cleanse you. You weren’t salted at all, nor wrapped in blankets at all. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you, to have compassion on you; but you were cast out in the open field, because you were abhorred in the day that you were born.