Isaiah 8:13-9:7

¹³ Yahweh of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread. ¹⁴ He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁵ Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and be captured.” ¹⁶ Wrap up the testimony. Seal the law among my disciples. ¹⁷ I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. ¹⁸ Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion. ¹⁹ When they tell you, “Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter:” shouldn’t a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? ²⁰ Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them. ²¹ They will pass through it, very distressed and hungry; and it will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse by their king and by their God. They will turn their faces upward, ²² and look to the earth, and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness. ¹ But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. ² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined. ³ You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder. ⁴ For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian. ⁵ For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. ⁶ For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.

Genesis 6:9-22

⁹ This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. ¹⁰ Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ¹¹ The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹² God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. ¹³ God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. ¹⁴ Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. ¹⁵ This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. ¹⁶ You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. ¹⁷ I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. ²⁰ Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive. ²¹ Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.” ²² Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.

Proverbs 8:1-21

¹ Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice? ² On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands. ³ Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud: ⁴ “To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind. ⁵ You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart. ⁶ Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things. ⁷ For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. ⁸ All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them. ⁹ They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge. ¹⁰ Receive my instruction rather than silver; knowledge rather than choice gold. ¹¹ For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it. ¹² “I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion. ¹³ The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth. ¹⁴ Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power. ¹⁵ By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. ¹⁶ By me princes rule; nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth. ¹⁷ I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me. ¹⁸ With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity. ¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; my yield than choice silver. ²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness, in the middle of the paths of justice; ²¹ that I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.