Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation.
My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise,
It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,
And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.