Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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1 A wise
ruler will educate his people,
and his government will be orderly.
2 All the officials and all the citizens
will be like their ruler.
3 An uneducated
king will ruin his people, but a
government will grow strong if its
rulers are wise.
4 The Lord sees to
the government of the world and
brings the right person to power at
the right time.
5 The success of that
person is in the Lord's hands. The
Lord is the source of the honor given
to any official.
Pride
6 Don't be angry with someone
for every little thing he does wrong.
Don't do anything out of injured
pride.
7 Arrogance and injustice are
hated by both the Lord and man.
8 Injustice, arrogance, and wealth
cause nations to fall from power,
and others then rise to take their
place.
9 We are only dust and ashes;
what have we got to be proud of?
Our body decays even while we are
alive. note
10 A long illness puzzles the
doctor. noteEven a king may be alive today
and dead tomorrow.
11 When a
person dies, all he then possesses is
worms, flies, and maggots.
12 Pride has its beginning when a
person abandons the Lord, his maker.
13 Pride is like a fountain pouring
out sin, and whoever persists in it
will be full of wickedness. That is
why the Lord brought terrible punishments
on some people and completely
destroyed them.
14 The Lord
has overthrown kings and put humbler
people in their place. note
15 The Lord
has pulled up nations by the roots
and established humbler ones in
their place.
16 The Lord has overthrown
empires and completely devastated
their lands.
17 He destroyed
some so completely that they are not
even remembered any more.
18 The
Creator never intended for human
beings to be arrogant and violent.
People Who Should Be Honored
19 Who deserves honor? The human
race does, because people fear
the Lord. Who does not deserve honor?
The human race does not, because
people break the Lord's commands.
20 A leader should be
honored by those who follow him,
and the Lord honors those who fear
him. note
-- --
22 Rich people, famous people, and
poor people all take pride in their
fear of the Lord.
23 It is not right to
refuse honor to a poor person who is
intelligent, and it is not right to give
honor to a sinner.
24 Men of influence,
rulers, and judges will be honored,
but none of them is greater
than a person who fears the Lord.
25 A slave who is wise will have free
citizens serving him; and if they are
sensible, they will not resent it.
Humility and Self-respect
26 When you do your work, don't
make a show of your skill, and don't
try to put on a show when you are in
trouble.
27 It is better to work and
have more than you need than to go
around boasting but hungry.
28 Son, keep your self-respect, but
remain modest. Value yourself at
your true worth.
29 There is no excuse
for a person to run himself
down. No one respects a person who
has no respect for himself.
30 Poor
people can be honored for their good
sense, and rich people can be honored
for their wealth.
31 If someone
is honored while he is poor, think
how much he will be honored if he
becomes rich! If someone is despised
while he is rich, think how
much more he will be despised if he
becomes poor!
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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