He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity:
And the rod of his wrath shall fail.

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed;

For he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out;
Yea, strife and ignominy shall cease.

He that loveth pureness of heart,

For the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
The eyes of the Lord preserve him that hath knowledge,
But he overthroweth the words of the treacherous man.

The sluggard saith, There is a lion without:

I shall be murdered in the streets.

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit:

He that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain,
And he that giveth to the rich, cometh only to want.

Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise,
And apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee,
If they be established together upon thy lips.

That thy trust may be in the Lord,

I have made them known to thee this day, even to thee.
Have I not written unto thee excellent things

Of counsels and knowledge;

To make thee know the certainty of the words of truth,

That thou mayest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?

Rob not the poor, because he is poor,

Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

For the Lord will plead their cause,

And despoil of life those that despoil them.

Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger;

And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go:

Lest thou learn his ways,

And get a snare to thy soul.

Be thou not one of them that strike hands,

Or of them that are sureties for debts:

If thou hast not wherewith to pay,

Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

Remove not the ancient landmark,

Which thy fathers have set.

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before

kings;

He shall not stand before mean men.

XLVIII. WISDOM PROVERBS.

PROVERBS 27:1-12.

Boast not thyself of to-morrow;

For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;
A stranger, and not thine own lips.

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty;

But a fool's vexation is heavier than them both.

Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous;

But who is able to stand before jealousy?

Better is open rebuke

Than love that is hidden.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend:

But the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

The full soul loatheth an honeycomb:

But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

As a bird that wandereth from her nest,

So is a man that wandereth from his place.

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart:

So doth the sweetness of a man's friend that cometh of hearty counsel.

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not;

And go not to thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity:

Better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,

That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself:

But the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

PROVERBS 28:16-28.

The prince that lacketh understanding is also a great oppressor:
But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

A man that is laden with the blood of any person
Shall flee unto the pit; let no man stay him.

Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered:

But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread:

But he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

A faithful man shall abound with blessings:

But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be unpunished.

To have respect of persons is not good:

Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.

He that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches,

And knoweth not that want shall come upon him.

He that rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favour

Than he that flattereth with the tongue.

Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression;

The same is the companion of a destroyer.

He that is of a greedy spirit stirreth up strife:

But he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.

He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:

But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack:

But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

When the wicked rise, men hide themselves:

But when they perish, the righteous increase.

XLIX. THE WISE AND VIRTUOUS WOMAN.

PROVERBS 31: 10-31.

A virtuous woman who can find?

For her price is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband trusteth in her,

And he shall have no lack of gain.

She doeth him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

She seeketh wool and flax,

And worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchant-ships;

She bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night,
And giveth meat to her household,

And their task to her maidens.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it:

With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength,

And maketh strong her arms.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable:
Her lamp goeth not out by night.

She layeth her hands to the distaff,

And her hands hold the spindle.

She spreadeth out her hand to the poor;

Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household;
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh linen garments and selleth them;
And delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing;
And she laugheth at the time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom;
And the law of kindness is on her tongue

She looketh well to the ways of her household,
And eateth not the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up, and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying:
Many daughters have done virtuously,

But thou excellest them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:

But a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands;

And let her works praise her in the gates.

L. THE EARTH'S FUTURE.

ISAIAH 35: 1-10. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon: they shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompence of God; he will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the glowing sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water: in the habitation of jackals, where they lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

And an high way shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon, they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

ISAIAH 26: 2-4. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is an everlasting rock.