Isaiah 4:2-5:7

² In that day, Yahweh’s branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel. ³ It will happen, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone who is written among the living in Jerusalem; ⁴ when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from within it, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. ⁵ Yahweh will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. ⁶ There will be a pavilion for a shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a refuge and for a shelter from storm and from rain. ¹ Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. ² He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in the middle of it, and also cut out a wine press therein. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. ³ “Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard. ⁴ What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes? ⁵ Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down. ⁶ I will lay it a wasteland. It won’t be pruned nor hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” ⁷ For the vineyard of Yahweh of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry of distress.

Genesis 3:21-4:7

²¹ Yahweh God made coats of animal skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them. ²² Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—” ²³ Therefore Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ So he drove out the man; and he placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. ¹ The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.” ² Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. ³ As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. ⁴ Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, ⁵ but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. ⁶ Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen? ⁷ If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

Proverbs 3:34-4:22

³⁴ Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble. ³⁵ The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools. ¹ Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding; ² for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law. ³ For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother. ⁴ He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live. ⁵ Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth. ⁶ Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you. ⁷ Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. ⁸ Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her. ⁹ She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.” ¹⁰ Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many. ¹¹ I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths. ¹² When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble. ¹³ Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life. ¹⁴ Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men. ¹⁵ Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on. ¹⁶ For they don’t sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall. ¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. ¹⁸ But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day. ¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over. ²⁰ My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. ²¹ Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart. ²² For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.