Psalm 149

1 Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song,
praise him in the company of all who love him.

2 Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator,
Zion’s children exult in their King.

3 Let them praise his name in dance;
strike up the band and make great music!

4 And why? Because God delights in his people,
festoons plain folk with salvation garlands!

5 Let true lovers break out in praise,
sing out from wherever they’re sitting,

6 Shout the high praises of God,
brandish their swords in the wild sword-dance—

7 A portent of vengeance on the God-defying nations,
a signal that punishment’s coming,

8 Their kings chained and hauled off to jail,
their leaders behind bars for good,

9 The judgment on them carried out to the letter
—and all who love God in the seat of honor!
Hallelujah!

Psalm 150

1 Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship,
praise him under the open skies;

2 Praise him for his acts of power,
praise him for his magnificent greatness;

3 Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
praise by strumming soft strings;

4 Praise him with castanets and dance,
praise him with banjo and flute;

5 Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
praise him with fiddles and mandolin.

6 Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
Hallelujah!

Proverbs 1

1 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David’s son, Israel’s king—

2 
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it’s going;

3 A manual for living,
for learning what’s right and just and fair;

4 To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.5 There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,

6 still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God

7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

8 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.

9 Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair,
like rings on your fingers.

10 Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
don’t go along with them.

11 If they say—“Let’s go out and raise some hell.
Let’s beat up some old man, mug some old woman.

12 Let’s pick them clean
and get them ready for their funerals.

13 We’ll load up on top-quality loot.
We’ll haul it home by the truckload.

14 Join us for the time of your life!
With us, it’s share and share alike!”—

15 Oh, friend, don’t give them a second look;
don’t listen to them for a minute.

16 They’re racing to a very bad end,
hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.

17 Nobody robs a bank
with everyone watching,

18 Yet that’s what these people are doing—
they’re doing themselves in.

19 When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens:
the more you get, the less you are.
Lady Wisdom

20 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.

21 In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:

22 “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?

23 About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I’m ready to tell you all I know.

24 As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;
I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.

25 “Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,

26 How can I take you seriously?
I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!

27 What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?

28 You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.

29 “Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,

30 Because you wouldn’t take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,

31 Well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?

32 Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.

33 First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.”
Make Insight Your Priority