Temptation

1Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’”

2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden,

3but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’”

4The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t surely die,

5for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.

7Their eyes were opened, and they both knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made coverings for themselves.

8They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

9Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”

10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

12The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

13Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

6God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn’t allow you to touch her.

1After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”

7After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”

8But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.

9No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

10As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

12Be careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare in the middle of you:

25You shall burn the engraved images of their gods with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared in it; for it is an abomination to Yahweh your God.

4As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

2But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped.

3For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm.

5They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.

6Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment.

7Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.

8They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.

9They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth.

10Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance.

11They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

12Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.

13Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocence,

14For all day long have I been plagued, and punished every morning.

15If I had said, “I will speak thus”; behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

16When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me;

17Until I entered God’s sanctuary, and considered their latter end.

18Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction.

19How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.

20As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.

21For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart.

22I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.

23Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.

24You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

25Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you.

26My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

17Unless Yahweh had been my help, my soul would have soon lived in silence.

101I have kept my feet from every evil way, that I might observe your word.

110The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I haven’t gone astray from your precepts.

10My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.

11If they say, “Come with us, Let’s lay in wait for blood; let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

12let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

13We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder.

14You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse.”

15My son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,

16for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

17For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

10For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

12to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

16To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

6She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it.

7Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.

8Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,

9lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;

10lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house.

11You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,

12and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

13neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

14I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”

15Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.

16Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?

17Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.

18Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.

20For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?

21For the ways of man are before the eyes of Yahweh. He examines all his paths.

27Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

15To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways,

16“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.” as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

17“Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant.”

26A righteous person is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

19Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.