Scripture Reading

¹⁴Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

¹⁵Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

¹⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

¹⁷Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

¹⁸And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

¹⁹From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

²⁰For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

²¹For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

²²Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

³²These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

¹And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

²And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

³And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

⁴And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

⁵And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

⁶And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

⁷Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

⁸So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

⁹Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

¹⁹The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.

²⁰He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

²¹Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.

²²A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

²³Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

²⁴He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

²⁵The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

¹Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

²He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

³In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

⁴Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

⁵A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

⁶A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.