¹⁹ So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

²⁷ He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.

¹⁹ In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, But he who restrains his lips does wisely.

²³ Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.

³ He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

¹³ He who gives answer before he hears, That is folly and shame to him.

²⁹ He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who has a quick temper displays folly.

³² One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; One who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.

²⁶ "Be angry, and don't sin." Don't let the sun go down on your wrath,

⁸ but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth.

¹ Guard your steps when you go to God's house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don't know that they do evil.

² Don't be rash with your mouth, and don't let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

³ For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool's speech with a multitude of words.

¹⁸ A wrathful man stirs up contention, But one who is slow to anger appeases strife.

¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, Therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.

⁸ Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

⁹ Don't be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

² The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, But the mouth of fools gush out folly.

¹¹ The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.

²⁸ Like a city that is broken down and without walls Is a man whose spirit is without restraint.

³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.

¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

¹⁷ He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, And a crafty man is hated.

²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue; Those who love it will eat its fruit.

²² But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca{"Raca" is an Aramaic insult, related to the word for "empty" and conveying the idea of empty-headedness.}!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna{Gehenna is another name for Hell that brings to mind an image of a burning garbage dump with dead bodies in it.}.

³³ Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God."

¹³ For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

¹¹ Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

¹⁷ and refused to obey, neither were mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn't forsake them.

³² "Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, For blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³ Hear instruction, and be wise. Don't refuse it.

³⁴ Blessed is the man who hears me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my door posts.

³⁵ For whoever finds me, finds life, And will obtain favor from Yahweh.

¹ Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.

² For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn't stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

² Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.

³ He read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were [attentive] to the book of the law.

¹⁸ Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

³ They stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Yahweh their God a fourth part of the day; and [another] fourth part they confessed, and worshiped Yahweh their God.

¹⁹ A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, For if you rescue him, you must do it again.

² Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them.

³⁷ Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?" The common people heard him gladly.

⁴⁸ They couldn't find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.

⁴² They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

⁴² So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

⁴³ Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.

⁴⁸ As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies,

²¹ envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

²⁶ If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man's religion is worthless.

²¹ I have not written to you because you don't know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

¹ Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.

¹² All the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

¹³ On the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers' [houses] of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law.

¹⁴ They found written in the law, how that Yahweh had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;