1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen closely to my understanding
2 so that you may maintain discretion and your lips safeguard knowledge.
3 Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her words are smoother than oil,
4 in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps head straight for Sheol.
6 She doesn’t consider the path of life; she doesn’t know that her ways are unstable.
7 So now, my sons, listen to me, and don’t turn away from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her. Don’t go near the door of her house.
9 Otherwise, you will give up your vitality to others and your years to someone cruel;
10 strangers will drain your resources, and your earnings will end up in a foreigner’s house.
11 At the end of your life, you will lament when your physical body has been consumed,
12 and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and how my heart despised correction.
13 I didn’t obey my teachers or listen closely to my mentors.
14 I am on the verge of complete ruin before the entire community.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern, water flowing from your own well.
16 Should your springs flow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?
17 They should be for you alone and not for you to share with strangers.
18 Let your fountain be blessed, and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.
19 A loving doe, a graceful fawn—let her breasts always satisfy you; be lost in her love forever.
20 Why, my son, would you be infatuated with a forbidden woman or embrace the breast of a stranger?
21 For a man’s ways are before the Lord’s eyes, and He considers all his paths.
22 A wicked man’s iniquities entrap him; he is entangled in the ropes of his own sin.
23 He will die because there is no discipline, and be lost because of his great stupidity.
Proverbs 5:1-23
21 Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail.
Proverbs 19:21
7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial:
8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit,
9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages.
1 Corinthians 12:7-10
12 Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you,
13 and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
14 And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
16 Rejoice always!
17 Pray constantly.
18 Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Don’t stifle the Spirit.
20 Don’t despise prophecies,
21 but test all things. Hold on to what is good.
22 Stay away from every kind of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us also.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
4 But when the goodness of God and His love for mankind appeared,
5 He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:4-5