Isaiah 9:9-10:4

⁹ All the people will know, including Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart, ¹⁰ “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with cut stone. The sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” ¹¹ Therefore Yahweh will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies, ¹² The Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. ¹³ Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them, neither have they sought Yahweh of Armies. ¹⁴ Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in one day. ¹⁵ The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. ¹⁶ For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed. ¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is profane and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. ¹⁸ For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. ¹⁹ Through Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, the land is burned up; and the people are the fuel for the fire. No one spares his brother. ²⁰ One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry; and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm: ²¹ Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. ¹ Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees; ² to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! ³ What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth? ⁴ They will only bow down under the prisoners, and will fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Genesis 7:1-15

¹ Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation. ² You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. ³ Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth. ⁴ In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will destroy every living thing that I have made from the surface of the ground.” ⁵ Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him. ⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. ⁷ Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters. ⁸ Clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground ⁹ went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah. ¹⁰ After the seven days, the floodwaters came on the earth. ¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the sky’s windows opened. ¹² It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights. ¹³ In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth—the sons of Noah—and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship— ¹⁴ they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. ¹⁵ Pairs from all flesh with the breath of life in them went into the ship to Noah.

Proverbs 8:32-9:11

³² “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways. ³³ Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it. ³⁴ Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts. ³⁵ For whoever finds me, finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh. ³⁶ But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.” ¹ Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars. ² She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table. ³ She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city: ⁴ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, ⁵ “Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed! ⁶ Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding.” ⁷ He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse. ⁸ Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. ⁹ Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. ¹⁰ The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. ¹¹ For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.