²¹ The lips of the upright man give food to men, but the foolish come to death for need of sense.

⁶ Destruction has overtaken my people because they have no knowledge; because you have given up knowledge, I will give you up, so that you will be no priest to me, because you have not kept in mind the law of your God, I will not keep your children in my memory.

²³ He will come to his end for need of teaching; he is so foolish that he will go wandering from the right way.

²¹ Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.

²² After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;

¹² I have never gone against the orders of his lips; the words of his mouth have been stored up in my heart.

³ Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong;

⁴ He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.

¹⁹ And this is the test by which men are judged: the light has come into the world and men have more love for the dark than for the light, because their acts are evil.

²⁰ The light is hated by everyone whose acts are evil and he does not come to the light for fear that his acts will be seen.

¹⁵ Then when they had taken food, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, is your love for me greater than the love of these others? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you are certain of my love for you. He said to him, Then give my lambs food.

¹⁶ Again, a second time, he said to him, Simon, son of John, have you any love for me? Yes, Lord, he said, you are certain of my love for you. Then take care of my sheep, said Jesus.

¹⁷ He said to him a third time, Simon, son of John, am I dear to you? Now Peter was troubled in his heart because he put the question a third time, Am I dear to you? And he said to him, Lord, you have knowledge of all things; you see that you are dear to me. Jesus said to him, Then give my sheep food.

²⁸ And because they had not the mind to keep God in their knowledge, God gave them up to an evil mind, to do those things which are not right;

² Keep watch over the flock of God which is in your care, using your authority, not as forced to do so, but gladly; and not for unclean profit but with a ready mind;

¹⁹ When the word of the kingdom comes to anyone, and the sense of it is not clear to him, then the Evil One comes, and quickly takes away that which was put in his heart. He is the seed dropped by the wayside.

¹⁶ But to me your word is a joy, making my heart glad; for I am named by your name, O Lord God of armies.

²⁹ For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:

³¹ So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.

¹² And you will say, How was teaching hated by me, and my heart put no value on training;

¹⁸ There are some whose uncontrolled talk is like the wounds of a sword, but the tongue of the wise makes one well again.

⁴ A comforting tongue is a tree of life, but a twisted tongue is a crushing of the spirit.

¹⁶ How will money in the hand of the foolish get him wisdom, seeing that he has no sense?

⁹ And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings.

¹⁰ The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.

¹⁵ And I will give you keepers, pleasing to my heart, who will give you your food with knowledge and wisdom.

³⁰ The mouth of the good man says words of wisdom; the talk of his tongue is of righteousness.