Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.

The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

If a wise person goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone."

"Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Walk with the wise and become wise,

for a companion of fools suffers harm.

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?