These proverbs can even add to the knowledge of the wise and give guidance to the educated,

Anything you say to the wise will make them wiser. Whatever you tell the righteous will add to their knowledge.

I planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. But look what you have become! You are like a rotten, worthless vine.

Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the book of the Law and whom the prophets also wrote about. He is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, he said about him, "Here is a real Israelite; there is nothing false in him!"

"Teacher," answered Nathanael, "you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

Many of them believed his message and were baptized, and about three thousand people were added to the group that day.

And so I sent for you at once, and you have been good enough to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God, waiting to hear anything that the Lord has instructed you to say."

The apostles and the other believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

I always do what God commands; I follow his will, not my own desires.

My child, learn what I teach you and never forget what I tell you to do.

Yes, beg for knowledge; plead for insight.

If you do, you will know what it means to fear the LORD and you will succeed in learning about God.

Choose my instruction instead of silver; choose knowledge rather than the finest gold.

And the seeds sown in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it: they bear fruit, some as much as one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty."

You imitated us and the Lord; and even though you suffered much, you received the message with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit.

And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe.

and use every kind of wicked deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved.

So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.

Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved.

Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the LORD, and they study it day and night.

They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.

How I love your law! I think about it all day long.

I have greater wisdom than those who are old, because I obey your commands.

All night long I lie awake, to meditate on your instructions.

You are to answer them, "Listen to what the LORD is teaching you! Don't listen to mediums---what they tell you cannot keep trouble away."

Search in the LORD's book of living creatures and read what it says. Not one of these creatures will be missing, and not one will be without its mate. The LORD has commanded it to be so; he himself will bring them together.

Abraham said, 'Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them; your brothers should listen to what they say.'

Then he said to them, "These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the Psalms had to come true."

But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.

You study the Scriptures, because you think that in them you will find eternal life. And these very Scriptures speak about me!

and you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

It was concerning this salvation that the prophets made careful search and investigation, and they prophesied about this gift which God would give you.

God revealed to these prophets that their work was not for their own benefit, but for yours, as they spoke about those things which you have now heard from the messengers who announced the Good News by the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things which even the angels would like to understand.

So we are even more confident of the message proclaimed by the prophets. You will do well to pay attention to it, because it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the Day dawns and the light of the morning star shines in your hearts.

For no prophetic message ever came just from the human will, but people were under the control of the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God.

Those false prophets speak about matters of the world, and the world listens to them because they belong to the world.

But we belong to God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever does not belong to God does not listen to us. This, then, is how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.