Whoever [is] wise will observe these [things,] And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

A wise [man] will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,

To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.

But the path of the just [is] like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Who [is] the wise man who may understand this? And [who is he] to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish [and] burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through?

"Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

"For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

"He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say [rightly] that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

"Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

[He is] the Rock, His work [is] perfect; For all His ways [are] justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright [is] He.

" Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God [to do] wickedness, And [from] the Almighty to [commit] iniquity.

Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple;

The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes;

I know, O LORD, that Your judgments [are] right, And [that] in faithfulness You have afflicted me.

Therefore all [Your] precepts [concerning] all [things] I consider [to be] right; I hate every false way.

" Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?

" Yet the children of your people say, 'The way of the LORD is not fair.' But it is their way which is not fair!

"But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it.

The LORD [is] righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, But the unjust knows no shame.

Therefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Yet the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.

Blessed [is] the man whose strength [is] in You, Whose heart [is] set on pilgrimage.

They go from strength to strength; [Each one] appears before God in Zion.

The way of the LORD [is] strength for the upright, But destruction [will come] to the workers of iniquity.

The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; [Let] Him [be] your fear, And [let] Him [be] your dread.

And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken."

"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this [Child] is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.

"And blessed is [he] who is not offended because of Me."

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."

"If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.

Why? Because [they did] not [seek it] by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

To the one [we are] the aroma of death [leading] to death, and to the other the aroma of life [leading] to life. And who [is] sufficient for these things?

The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

Therefore, to you who believe, [He is] precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,"

and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.