16 Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. 17 The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds.

24 Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock.

16 *Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

4 *And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope.

1 *These are the proverbs

of King Solomon of Israel,

the son of David.

2 Proverbs will teach you

wisdom and self-control

and how to understand

sayings with deep meanings.

3 You will learn what is right

and honest and fair.

4 From these, an ordinary person

can learn to be smart,

and young people can gain

knowledge and good sense.

5 If you are already wise,

you will become even wiser.

And if you are smart,

you will learn to understand

6 proverbs and sayings,

as well as words of wisdom,

and all kinds of riddles.

7 *Respect and obey the Lord!

This is the beginning

of knowledge.*

Only a fool rejects wisdom

and good advice.

5 *So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. 6 *Memorize his laws 7 and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.

8 My child, obey the teachings

of your parents,

9 and wear their teachings

as you would a pretty hat

or a lovely necklace.

20 Obey the teaching

of your parents—

21 always keep it in mind

and never forget it.

22 Their teaching will guide you

when you walk,

protect you when you sleep,

and talk to you

when you are awake.

23 The Law of the Lord is a lamp,

and its teachings

shine brightly.

Correction and self-control

will lead you through life.

5 Be wise and learn good sense;

remember my teachings

and do what I say.

6 "If you love Wisdom

and don’t reject her,

she will watch over you.

7 The best thing about Wisdom

is Wisdom herself;

good sense is more important

than anything else.

8 If you value Wisdom

and hold tightly to her,

great honors will be yours.

13 Hold firmly to my teaching

and never let go.

It will mean life for you.

14 Don’t follow the bad example

of cruel and evil people.

23 Carefully guard your thoughts

because they are the source

of true life.

24 Never tell lies or be deceitful

in what you say.

25 Keep looking straight ahead,

without turning aside.

26 *Know where you are headed,

and you will stay

on solid ground.

27 Don’t make a mistake by turning

to the right or the left.

14 Sensible instruction

is a life-giving fountain

that helps you escape

all deadly traps.

10 *Respect and obey the Lord!

This is the beginning

of wisdom.*

To have understanding,

you must know the Holy God.

1 My friends, I beg you

to listen as I teach.

2 *I will give instruction

and explain the mystery

of what happened long ago.

3 These are things we learned

from our ancestors,

4 and we will tell them

to the next generation.

We won’t keep secret

the glorious deeds

and the mighty miracles

of the Lord.

10 After a while the people of Joshua’s generation died, and the next generation did not know the Lord or any of the things he had done for Israel.

17 Church leaders* who do their job well deserve to be paid* twice as much, especially if they work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 *It is just as the Scriptures say, "Don’t muzzle an ox when you are using it to grind grain." You also know the saying, "Workers are worth their pay."

16 Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God. 17 That sort of talk is like a sore that won’t heal. And Hymenaeus and Philetus have been talking this way

9 Don’t keep changing what you were taught about Christ, or else God will no longer be with you. But if you hold firmly to what you were taught, both the Father and the Son will be with you.

14 When the festival was about half over, Jesus went into the temple and started teaching. 15 The leaders were surprised and said, "How does this man know so much? He has never been taught!"

16 Jesus replied:

I am not teaching something I thought up. What I teach comes from the one who sent me. 17 If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me. 18 If I wanted to bring honor to myself, I would speak for myself. But I want to honor the one who sent me. This is why I tell the truth and not a lie.