3 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
² For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
³ Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
⁴ So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Guidance for the Young

3 My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;
² For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.

³ Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴ And so find favor and ^[a]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall ^[b]direct your paths.

Footnotes:
a. Proverbs 3:4 Lit. good understanding
b. Proverbs 3:6 Or make smooth or straight

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but keep my commands in your heart,
² for they will prolong your life many years
    and bring you peace and prosperity.

³ Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

Footnotes:
a. Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths

Trusting in the Lord

3 My child,^[a] never forget the things I have taught you.
    Store my commands in your heart.
² If you do this, you will live many years,
    and your life will be satisfying.
³ Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!
    Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
    Write them deep within your heart.
⁴ Then you will find favor with both God and people,
    and you will earn a good reputation.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

Footnotes:
a. 3:1 Hebrew My son; also in 3:11, 21.

The Rewards of Wisdom

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but let your heart keep my commandments;
² for length of days and long life
    and peace will they add to you.

³ Do not let mercy and truth forsake you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴ so you will find favor and good understanding
    in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him,
    and He will direct your paths.

17 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;
² Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.
³ O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.
⁴ And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.
⁵ Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
⁶ For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
⁷ Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
⁸ For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Judah’s Sin and Punishment

17 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron;
With the point of a diamond it is engraved
On the tablet of their heart,
And on the horns of your altars,
² While their children remember
Their altars and their wooden^[a] images
By the green trees on the high hills.
³ O My mountain in the field,
I will give as plunder your wealth, all your treasures,
And your high places of sin within all your borders.
⁴ And you, even yourself,
Shall let go of your heritage which I gave you;
And I will cause you to serve your enemies
In the land which you do not know;
For you have kindled a fire in My anger which shall burn forever.”

⁵ Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his ^[b]strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
⁶ For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited.

⁷ “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
⁸ For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not ^[c]fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Footnotes:
a. Jeremiah 17:2 Heb. Asherim, Canaanite deities
b. Jeremiah 17:5 Lit. arm
c. Jeremiah 17:8 Qr., Tg. see

17 “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,
    inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts
    and on the horns of their altars.
² Even their children remember
    their altars and Asherah poles^[a]
beside the spreading trees
    and on the high hills.
³ My mountain in the land
    and your^[b] wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as plunder,
    together with your high places,
    because of sin throughout your country.
⁴ Through your own fault you will lose
    the inheritance I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies
    in a land you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
    and it will burn forever.”

⁵ This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
    who draws strength from mere flesh
    and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
⁶ That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
    they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
    in a salt land where no one lives.

⁷ “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Footnotes:
a. Jeremiah 17:2 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
b. Jeremiah 17:3 Or hills / ³ and the mountains of the land. / Your

Judah’s Sin and Punishment

17 “The sin of Judah
    is inscribed with an iron chisel—
engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts
    and on the corners of their altars.
² Even their children go to worship
    at their pagan altars and Asherah poles,
beneath every green tree
    and on every high hill.
³ So I will hand over my holy mountain—
    along with all your wealth and treasures
    and your pagan shrines—
as plunder to your enemies,
    for sin runs rampant in your land.
⁴ The wonderful possession I have reserved for you
    will slip from your hands.
I will tell your enemies to take you
    as captives to a foreign land.
For my anger blazes like a fire
    that will burn forever.”

Wisdom from the Lord

⁵ This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
    who rely on human strength
    and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
⁶ They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
    with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salty land.

⁷ “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
    and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
⁸ They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
    with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
    or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
    and they never stop producing fruit.

Judah’s Sin and Punishment

17 The sin of Judah is written with an iron pen
    and with a diamond point;
it is engraved on the tablet of their heart
    and on the horns of their altars;
² as they remember their children,
    so they remember their altars
and their groves by the green trees
    on the high hills.
³ O My mountain in the field,
    I will give your wealth
and all your treasures to the destroyer,
    and your high places
    for sin throughout all your borders.
⁴ You, even yourself, will discontinue
    from your heritage that I gave you;
and I will cause you to serve your enemies
    in the land which you do not know;
for you have kindled a fire in My anger
    which will burn forever.

⁵ Thus says the Lord:

Cursed is the man who trusts in man
    and makes flesh his strength,
    and whose heart departs from the Lord.
⁶ For he will be like a bush in the desert
    and will not see when good comes,
but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
    in a salt land and not inhabited.

⁷ Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    and whose hope is the Lord.
⁸ For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters,
    and that spreads out its roots by the river,
and shall not fear when heat comes,
    but its leaf shall be green,
and it shall not be anxious in the year of drought,
    neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

² My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

³ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

⁷ For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Profiting from Trials

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces ^[a]patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be ^[b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

Footnotes:
a. James 1:3 endurance or perseverance
b. James 1:4 mature

Trials and Temptations

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Footnotes:
a. James 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.

Faith and Endurance

² Dear brothers and sisters,^[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ⁶ But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Footnotes:
a. 1:2 Greek brothers; also in 1:16, 19.

Faith and Wisdom

² My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, ³ knowing that the trying of your faith develops patience. ⁴ But let patience perfect its work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, without wavering. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed with the wind. ⁷ Let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

¹⁴ And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
¹⁵ Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
¹⁶ And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
¹⁹ Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
²⁰ And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
²¹ Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

A Boy Is Healed

¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is ^[a]an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O ^[b]faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^[c]unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ^21 [d]However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Footnotes:
a. Matthew 17:15 Lit. moonstruck
b. Matthew 17:17 unbelieving
c. Matthew 17:20 NU little faith
d. Matthew 17:21 NU omits v. 21.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ^[21] [a]

Footnotes:
a. Matthew 17:21 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 9:29.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

¹⁴ At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

¹⁷ Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

¹⁹ Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

²⁰ “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.^[a]”

Footnotes:
a. 17:20 Some manuscripts add verse 21, But this kind of demon won’t leave except by prayer and fasting. Compare Mark 9:29.

The Healing of a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man came to Him and knelt before Him, saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him. And the child was healed instantly.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast him out?”

²⁰ Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. And nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

¹² No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
¹³ Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
¹⁴ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
¹⁵ Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Seeing God Through Love

¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

¹³ And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ¹⁴ Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us.

¹³ We know that we live in Him, and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.