25 Bible Verses About Choir Directors (NIV)

¹ Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! ² Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. ³ Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; ⁴ this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. ⁵ He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand. ⁶ He says, "I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. ⁷ In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah ⁸ "Hear, O my people, and I will warn you- if you would but listen to me, O Israel! ⁹ You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. ¹⁰ I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. ¹¹ "But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. ¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. ¹³ "If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, ¹⁴ how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! ¹⁵ Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. ¹⁶ But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

¹ O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. ² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³ You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. ⁵ You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹ If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. ¹³ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! ¹⁸ Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. ¹⁹ If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! ²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. ²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? ²² I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. ¹⁹ The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

⁵ Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals,

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. ² He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. ³ He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. ⁴ Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. ⁵ Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. ⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced,; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. ⁷ Then I said, "Here I am, I have come- it is written about me in the scroll. ⁸ I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." ⁹ I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD. ¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly. ¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me. ¹² For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. ¹³ Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me. ¹⁴ May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. ¹⁵ May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame. ¹⁶ But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!" ¹⁷ Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

²⁵ He stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king's seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets.

²⁹ "Count the Merarites by their clans and families. ³⁰ Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

²² "Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans. ²³ Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

² "Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. ³ Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting.

¹ Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. ² Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. ⁵ (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷ He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

¹ I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. ² When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. ³ I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah ⁴ You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. ⁵ I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; ⁶ I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired: ⁷ "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? ⁸ Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? ⁹ Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Selah ¹⁰ Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." ¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. ¹² I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. ¹³ Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? ¹⁴ You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. ¹⁵ With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah ¹⁶ The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. ¹⁷ The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. ¹⁸ Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. ¹⁹ Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. ²⁰ You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

¹⁹ Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

¹⁵ The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer. The gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made the preparations for them.

¹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. ² With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." ³ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. ⁵ This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. ⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. ⁷ When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. ⁸ The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. ⁹ "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. ¹¹ The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. ¹² "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³ They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." ¹⁵ Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. ¹⁶ The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. ¹⁷ For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. ¹⁸ The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

¹ O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. ² I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old- ³ what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. ⁴ We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. ⁵ He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, ⁶ so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. ⁷ Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. ⁸ They would not be like their forefathers- a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. ⁹ The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; ¹⁰ they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law. ¹¹ They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. ¹² He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. ¹³ He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall. ¹⁴ He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. ¹⁵ He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas; ¹⁶ he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. ¹⁷ But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. ¹⁸ They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. ¹⁹ They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert? ²⁰ When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?" ²¹ When the LORD heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, ²² for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. ²³ Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; ²⁴ he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. ²⁵ Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. ²⁶ He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power. ²⁷ He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore. ²⁸ He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. ²⁹ They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved. ³⁰ But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths, ³¹ God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. ³² In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. ³³ So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror. ³⁴ Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. ³⁵ They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. ³⁶ But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; ³⁷ their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. ³⁸ Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. ³⁹ He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. ⁴⁰ How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland! ⁴¹ Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. ⁴² They did not remember his power- the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, ⁴³ the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan. ⁴⁴ He turned their rivers to blood; they could not drink from their streams. ⁴⁵ He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. ⁴⁶ He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust. ⁴⁷ He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet. ⁴⁸ He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. ⁴⁹ He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility- a band of destroying angels. ⁵⁰ He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague. ⁵¹ He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. ⁵² But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert. ⁵³ He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies. ⁵⁴ Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. ⁵⁵ He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. ⁵⁶ But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes. ⁵⁷ Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow. ⁵⁸ They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. ⁵⁹ When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely. ⁶⁰ He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men. ⁶¹ He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy. ⁶² He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with his inheritance. ⁶³ Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs; ⁶⁴ their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep. ⁶⁵ Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine. ⁶⁶ He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame. ⁶⁷ Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; ⁶⁸ but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. ⁶⁹ He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. ⁷⁰ He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; ⁷¹ from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. ⁷² And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

²⁰ Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

¹⁶ The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. ¹⁷ It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

²³ Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

²¹ When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,

¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

¹ A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. ² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. ³ For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴ They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. ⁵ They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. ⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. ⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. ⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. ⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. ¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. ¹¹ They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" ¹² This is what the wicked are like- always carefree, they increase in wealth. ¹³ Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. ¹⁴ All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. ¹⁵ If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. ¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me ¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. ¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. ¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! ²⁰ As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. ²¹ When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, ²² I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. ²³ Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. ²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. ²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. ²⁹ undefined ³⁰ undefined ³¹ undefined ³² undefined ³³ undefined ³⁴ undefined ³⁵ undefined ³⁶ undefined ³⁷ undefined ³⁸ undefined ³⁹ undefined ⁴⁰ undefined ⁴¹ undefined ⁴² undefined ⁴³ undefined ⁴⁴ undefined ⁴⁵ undefined ⁴⁶ undefined ⁴⁷ undefined ⁴⁸ undefined ⁴⁹ undefined ⁵⁰ undefined ⁵¹ undefined ⁵² undefined ⁵³ undefined ⁵⁴ undefined ⁵⁵ undefined ⁵⁶ undefined ⁵⁷ undefined ⁵⁸ undefined ⁵⁹ undefined ⁶⁰ undefined ⁶¹ undefined ⁶² undefined ⁶³ undefined ⁶⁴ undefined ⁶⁵ undefined ⁶⁶ undefined ⁶⁷ undefined ⁶⁸ undefined ⁶⁹ undefined ⁷⁰ undefined ⁷¹ undefined ⁷² undefined ⁷³ undefined ⁷⁴ undefined ⁷⁵ undefined ⁷⁶ undefined ⁷⁷ undefined ⁷⁸ undefined

¹ A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. ² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. ³ For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴ They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. ⁵ They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. ⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. ⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. ⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. ⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. ¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. ¹¹ They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" ¹² This is what the wicked are like- always carefree, they increase in wealth. ¹³ Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. ¹⁴ All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. ¹⁵ If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. ¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me ¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. ¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. ¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! ²⁰ As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. ²¹ When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, ²² I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. ²³ Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. ²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. ²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. ²⁹ undefined ³⁰ undefined ³¹ undefined ³² undefined ³³ undefined ³⁴ undefined ³⁵ undefined ³⁶ undefined ³⁷ undefined ³⁸ undefined ³⁹ undefined ⁴⁰ undefined ⁴¹ undefined ⁴² undefined ⁴³ undefined ⁴⁴ undefined ⁴⁵ undefined ⁴⁶ undefined ⁴⁷ undefined ⁴⁸ undefined ⁴⁹ undefined ⁵⁰ undefined ⁵¹ undefined ⁵² undefined ⁵³ undefined ⁵⁴ undefined ⁵⁵ undefined ⁵⁶ undefined ⁵⁷ undefined ⁵⁸ undefined ⁵⁹ undefined ⁶⁰ undefined ⁶¹ undefined ⁶² undefined ⁶³ undefined ⁶⁴ undefined ⁶⁵ undefined ⁶⁶ undefined ⁶⁷ undefined ⁶⁸ undefined ⁶⁹ undefined ⁷⁰ undefined ⁷¹ undefined ⁷² undefined ⁷³ undefined ⁷⁴ undefined

¹ The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. ² From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. ³ Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. ⁴ He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: ⁵ "Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." ⁶ And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah ⁷ "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. ⁸ I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. ⁹ I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, ¹⁰ for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. ¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. ¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. ¹³ Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? ¹⁴ Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, ¹⁵ and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." ¹⁶ But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? ¹⁷ You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. ¹⁸ When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. ¹⁹ You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. ²⁰ You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. ²¹ These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. ²² "Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: ²³ He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."

¹ Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, ² both low and high, rich and poor alike: ³ My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. ⁴ I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: ⁵ Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me- ⁶ those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? ⁷ No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him- ⁸ the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough- ⁹ that he should live on forever and not see decay. ¹⁰ For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. ¹¹ Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. ¹² But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. ¹³ This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah ¹⁴ Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. ¹⁵ But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah ¹⁶ Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; ¹⁷ for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. ¹⁸ Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper- ¹⁹ he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. ²⁰ A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.