Isaiah 42:5-16

⁵ Thus says God Yahweh, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it. ⁶ “I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations; ⁷ to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison. ⁸ “I am Yahweh. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images. ⁹ Behold, the former things have happened, and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.” ¹⁰ Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants. ¹¹ Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains! ¹² Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands. ¹³ Yahweh will go out like a mighty man. He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over his enemies. ¹⁴ “I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant. ¹⁵ I will destroy mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools. ¹⁶ I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.

Genesis 18:20-33

²⁰ Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, ²¹ I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.” ²² The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh. ²³ Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” ²⁶ Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.” ²⁷ Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes. ²⁸ What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.” ³⁰ He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” ³¹ He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” ³² He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” ³³ Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Proverbs 16:17-17:17

¹⁷ The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul. ¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. ¹⁹ It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud. ²⁰ He who heeds the Word finds prosperity. Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed. ²¹ The wise in heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction. ²² Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools is their folly. ²³ The heart of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning to his lips. ²⁴ Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. ²⁵ There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. ²⁶ The appetite of the laboring man labors for him; for his mouth urges him on. ²⁷ A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire. ²⁸ A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends. ²⁹ A man of violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good. ³⁰ One who winks his eyes to plot perversities, one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil. ³¹ Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness. ³² One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city. ³³ The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh. ¹ Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife. ² A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers. ³ The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but Yahweh tests the hearts. ⁴ An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. ⁵ Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished. ⁶ Children’s children are the crown of old men; the glory of children are their parents. ⁷ Arrogant speech isn’t fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince. ⁸ A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers. ⁹ He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends. ¹⁰ A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool. ¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. ¹² Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. ¹³ Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. ¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out. ¹⁵ He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh. ¹⁶ Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding? ¹⁷ A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity.