1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s discipline, and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,
2 for I am giving you good instruction. Don’t abandon my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father, tender and precious to my mother,
4 he taught me and said: “Your heart must hold on to my words. Keep my commands and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding.
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 She will place a garland of grace on your head; she will give you a crown of beauty.”
Proverbs 4:1-9 (HCSB)
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
and to shun the path of the wicked
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless
they cause some to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Proverbs 4:10-18 (KJV)
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they don’t know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings.
21 Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body.
23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
24 Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously.
25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26 Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established.
27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.
Proverbs 4:19-27 (HCSB)
22 The Lord’s blessing enriches, and struggle adds nothing to it.
Proverbs 10:22 (HCSB)
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Matthew 16:15 (KJV)
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luke 2:26 (KJV)
3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.
4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function,
5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one
another.
6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of one’s faith;
7 if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching;
8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:3-8 (HCSB)