¹ The memory of a just man is praised, and the Lord’s blessing is upon his head. Blessed is one who has found wisdom; a mortal who knows understanding. To import her is better than treasures of gold and silver. She is more valuable than precious stones; nothing of value equals her worth. Justice proceeds from her mouth; she bears law and mercy on her tongue. Therefore, my children, listen to me, for I speak weighty things. And blessed is the one who keeps my ways. For my goings out are the goings out of life, and favour is prepared from the Lord. Therefore I exhort you, and utter my voice to the children of humankind. Because I, Wisdom, have prepared counsel, knowledge and understanding. I have called on them. Counsel and sureness are mine; prudence is mine, strength is mine. I love those who are my friends, while those who seek me will find grace. You innocent, then, understand cunning; you untaught, take it to heart. Listen to me, for I will speak weighty things, and I will open right things from my lips. Because my throat will meditate truth; lying lips are abominable before me. All the words of my mouth are with justice, there is nothing crooked in them nor twisted. They are all straight for those who understand, and right for those who find knowledge. For I teach you what is true, that your hope may be in the Lord and that you may be filled with spirit.

³¹ The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.

³² The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

¹ A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

² When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

³ The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

⁴ Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

⁵ The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

⁶ The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.

⁷ When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.

⁸ The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.

⁹ An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

¹⁰ When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

¹¹ By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

¹² He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.

⁷ But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.

⁸ For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.

⁹ But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age.

¹⁰ He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.

¹¹ Yea speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul.

¹² For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind.

¹³ He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:

¹⁴ For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.

¹⁵ This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.

⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

¹⁶ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

¹ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

² But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

³ But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

⁴ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

⁵ For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

⁶ For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

²⁶ For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

²⁷ Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

²⁸ For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

¹ Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

² A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

¹⁶ Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

¹⁷ Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

¹⁸ Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

¹⁹ And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

²⁰ But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

²¹ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

²² And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

²³ Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

²⁵ Behold, I have told you before.

²⁶ Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

²⁷ For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

²⁸ For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

¹⁷ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

¹⁸ For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

¹⁹ Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

¹ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, {tetrarch: or, governor of four provinces}

² Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

³ And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways {shall be} made smooth;

⁶ And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

⁷ Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸ Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to {our} father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {worthy of: or, meet for}

⁹ And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

¹⁰ And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

¹¹ He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

¹² Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

¹³ And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

¹⁴ And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse {any} falsely; and be content with your wages. {Do violence...: or, Put no man in fear} {wages: or, allowance}

¹⁵ And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; {in expectation: or, in suspense} {mused: or, reasoned, or, debated}

¹⁶ John answered, saying unto {them} all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

¹⁷ Whose fan {is} in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

¹⁸ And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

²⁰ Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

²² And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

²³ And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was {the son} of Heli,

²⁴ Which was {the son} of Matthat, which was {the son} of Levi, which was {the son} of Melchi, which was {the son} of Janna, which was {the son} of Joseph,

²⁵ Which was {the son} of Mattathias, which was {the son} of Amos, which was {the son} of Naum, which was {the son} of Esli, which was {the son} of Nagge,

²⁶ Which was {the son} of Maath, which was {the son} of Mattathias, which was {the son} of Semei, which was {the son} of Joseph, which was {the son} of Juda,

²⁷ Which was {the son} of Joanna, which was {the son} of Rhesa, which was {the son} of Zorobabel, which was {the son} of Salathiel, which was {the son} of Neri,

²⁸ Which was {the son} of Melchi, which was {the son} of Addi, which was {the son} of Cosam, which was {the son} of Elmodam, which was {the son} of Er,

²⁹ Which was {the son} of Jose, which was {the son} of Eliezer, which was {the son} of Jorim, which was {the son} of Matthat, which was {the son} of Levi,

³⁰ Which was {the son} of Simeon, which was {the son} of Juda, which was {the son} of Joseph, which was {the son} of Jonan, which was {the son} of Eliakim,

³¹ Which was {the son} of Melea, which was {the son} of Menan, which was {the son} of Mattatha, which was {the son} of Nathan, which was {the son} of David,

³² Which was {the son} of Jesse, which was {the son} of Obed, which was {the son} of Booz, which was {the son} of Salmon, which was {the son} of Naasson,

³³ Which was {the son} of Aminadab, which was {the son} of Aram, which was {the son} of Esrom, which was {the son} of Phares, which was {the son} of Juda,

³⁴ Which was {the son} of Jacob, which was {the son} of Isaac, which was {the son} of Abraham, which was {the son} of Thara, which was {the son} of Nachor,

³⁵ Which was {the son} of Saruch, which was {the son} of Ragau, which was {the son} of Phalec, which was {the son} of Heber, which was {the son} of Sala,

³⁶ Which was {the son} of Cainan, which was {the son} of Arphaxad, which was {the son} of Sem, which was {the son} of Noe, which was {the son} of Lamech,

³⁷ Which was {the son} of Mathusala, which was {the son} of Enoch, which was {the son} of Jared, which was {the son} of Maleleel, which was {the son} of Cainan,

³⁸ Which was {the son} of Enos, which was {the son} of Seth, which was {the son} of Adam, which was {the son} of God.