5 If anyone of you does not know how to act wisely in order to endure difficulties/trials well, he should ask God to show him what he should do, because God wholeheartedly/gladly helps all people who ask and does not scold anyone for asking. Those who ask, God will give them wisdom to know what they should do.

14 Because we have a close relationship with him, we are very confident that he hears us when we ask him to do anything that is in accordance with ◄his will/what he desires►.

9 But God will do what he says that he will do, and what he does is always right. So, if we confess to him that we have behaved sinfully, he will forgive us for our sins and ◄will free us from/remove► the guilt of all our sins. Because of that, we should confess to him that we have behaved sinfully.

5 Trust in Yahweh completely,

and do not rely on what you yourself understand.

6 Always allow him to lead you.

If you do that, he will ◄show you the right path/direct your life►.

6 Always allow him to lead you.

If you do that, he will ◄show you the right path/direct your life►.

11 I, Yahweh, know what I have planned for you. I am planning to cause things to go well for you, not to cause you to experience disasters. I am planning to give you many things that you confidently expect to receive in the future.

14 A nation will be destroyed/ruined if it does not have leaders who guide it wisely;

but if there are many good advisors, the nation remains secure.

33 People ◄cast lots/throw marked stones► to decide what should be done,

but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.

1 Those who separate themselves from other people think only about those things that they are interested in;

if they would continually associate with those who have good judgment/sense, they would constantly disagree/quarrel with them.

2 Foolish people do not want to understand anything;

they only want to ◄express their own opinions/say what they think► [IDM].

3 Whenever people do wicked things, others will despise them;

when people do things that cause themselves to no longer be honored, they will be disgraced also.

4 What wise people say is like a deep ocean that you can never get to the bottom of [MET],

and it refreshes us like water from a rapidly flowing stream.

5 It is not good for a judge to decide matters in favor of those who ◄are guilty/have done wicked things►

and to not do what is just for those who ◄are innocent/have not done what is wrong►.

6 When foolish people [SYN] start arguments,

it is as though they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.

7 What foolish people [MTY] say causes them to be ruined;

their own words are like a trap [MET] that catches/seizes them.

8 People enjoy listening to what gossips say like [SIM] they enjoy tasty food;

they accept what gossips tell them like [MET] they swallow tasty food.

9 People who are lazy while they work

are just as bad as [IDM] those who destroy things.

10 Yahweh [MTY] is like a strong tower [MET];

righteous people can go to him and be safe like they can run to a tower to be safe.

11 Rich people are protected because they have a lot of money [PRS]

like a city is protected because it has a high wall surrounding it [SIM].

12 Proud people are on the road to being ruined,

but being humble leads to being honored.

13 Those who reply to someone before that person has finished speaking are foolish;

doing that is disgraceful.

14 A desire to continue to live can sustain someone when he is sick;

if he loses that desire, he ◄cannot endure it/will become very discouraged► when he is sick [RHQ].

16 God ◄inspired/put into men’s minds► everything that is written in the Scriptures {they wrote in the holy writings}, and those writings are all useful to teach us what is true, to cause us to know when we are wrong and then ◄to correct us/to show us what we have done that is wrong►, and to train/teach us to do what is right.

17 What is written {they wrote} is useful to help us who serve God to be ready/prepared to do all that we should do. By means of it, we are equipped {God gives us what we need} in order to do every kind of good deeds.

7 They arrived at the border of Mysia province and they wanted to go north into Bithynia province. But again the Spirit of Jesus showed them that they should not go there.

1 Among the people in the congregation at Antioch there were ◄prophets/those who spoke messages from God► and those who taught people about Jesus. They were Barnabas; Simeon, who was also called Niger/Blackman; Lucius, from Cyrene city; Manaen, who had grown up with King Herod Antipas; and Saul. 2 While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul to serve me and to go and do the work that I have chosen them to do!" 3 So they continued ◄to fast/to abstain from eating food► and pray. Then having put their hands on Barnabas and Saul and praying that God would help them, they sent them off to do what the Holy Spirit had commanded.

31 So I say to you in conclusion, when you eat food, or drink something, or do anything else, do everything in order that people will praise God.

1 We know about many people like that who showed they trusted in God. They are like a crowd of spectators who are cheering for us inside a stadium [MET]. Knowing that, we must put away all the things that hinder us, as a runner puts aside everything that would hinder him because they are heavy [MET]. Especially we must put away sinful actions that hinder us, as a runner sets aside clothes he does not need, clothes that would entangle him [MET]. Let us wholeheartedly strive to achieve what God has planned for us, as someone in a race wholeheartedly runs the course that is before him [MET].

5 That night, Yahweh appeared to him in a dream. He asked Solomon, "What would you like me to give to you?"

6 Solomon replied, "You always greatly and faithfully loved my father David, who served you well. You did that because he ◄was faithful to/faithfully obeyed► you and acted righteously and honestly toward you. And you have showed how greatly and faithfully you loved him by giving to him me, his son, and now I am ruling [MTY] as he did before he died.

7 "Now, Yahweh my God, you have appointed me to be the king like my father was. But I am very young, like a little child [MET]. I do not know how to lead/rule my people at all [IDM]. 8 I am here among the people whom you have chosen. They are a very large group of people; there are very, very many of them, with the result that no one can count them [DOU]. 9 So please enable me to think clearly, in order that I may rule your people well. Enable me to know what is good and what is evil. If you do not do that, I will never [RHQ] be able to rule this great group of people who belong to you."

10 Yahweh was very pleased that Solomon had requested that. 11 God said to him, "You did not request that you live for many years or that you become very rich or that you be able to kill all your enemies. Instead, you have requested that I enable you to be wise, in order that you will be able to know and to do what is right while you govern these people. 12 So, I will certainly do what you requested. I will enable you to be very wise [DOU]. The result will be that no one who has lived before you or who will live after you will be as wise as you are.

9 His wife said to him, "Are you still trying to ◄be loyal to/faithfully trust in► God? You should curse God, and then you will die."

10 But Job replied, "You talk like people who do not know God talk. ◄Should we accept only the good things that God does for us?/We should not accept only the good things that God does for us.► [RHQ] We should also accept bad things." So in spite of all these things that happened to Job, he did not say anything against God.