Thursday in Season after Pentecost

1Verse 1. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2Verse 2. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly. 3Verse 3. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good. 4Verse 4. A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. 5Verse 5. A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction is prudent. 6Verse 6. The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble. 7Verse 7. The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the hearts of fools. 8Verse 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9Verse 9. The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue righteousness. 10Verse 10. Discipline is harsh for him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die. 11Verse 11. Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD— how much more the hearts of men! 12Verse 12. A mocker does not love to be reproved, nor will he consult the wise. 13Verse 13. A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit. 14Verse 14. A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. 15Verse 15. All the days of the oppressed are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16Verse 16. Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil. 17Verse 17. Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.

1Verse 1. Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2Verse 2. And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3Verse 3. So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.” 4Verse 4. But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5Verse 5. At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!” 6Verse 6. (But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there.) 7Verse 7. So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut. 8Verse 8. Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof 9Verse 9. and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you. 10Verse 10. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction. 11Verse 11. When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below. 12Verse 12. Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13Verse 13. that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us from death.” 14Verse 14. “Our lives for your lives!” the men agreed. “If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness when the LORD gives us the land.”