Israel, the people that serve him, alleluia!
The 149th Psalm (^)
Song of thanksgiving for the spread of the holy gospel of Christ.

Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song! Let the congregation of the saints praise him.

Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be glad in their king.

They shall praise his name in song: with timbrels and harps shall they play unto him.

For the LORD is well pleased with his people: he helpeth the needy gloriously.

Let the saints be glad and praise and glory in their camps.

Their mouth shall exalt GOD, and shall have sharp swords in their hands, 7. To execute vengeance among the heathen, punishment among the nations, 8. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, 9. To do them the judgment that is written. Such glory shall all his saints have. Hallelujah!
The 150th Psalm (^)
Exhortation to the praise of God.

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord in his sanctuary; praise him in the firmament of his power!

Praise him in his deeds; praise him in his great glory.

Praise him with trumpets; praise him with psalteries and harps.

Praise him with timbrels and with music; praise him with strings and with pipes.

Praise him with barking cymbals; praise him with sounding cymbals.

Let every living thing praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
Text of the unrevised Luther Bible 1545:
DeepL English Translation
[Processed by BackToLuther. German text published here.]
The Proverbs of Solomon (Proverbs) ^
Chapter 1
Whereby wisdom is attained or hindered.

These are the sayings of Solomon king of Israel, David’s son, 2. to learn wisdom and discipline, understanding,

prudence, justice, right and wrong,

That the silly become witty, and the young men sensible and prudent.

He that is wise hearkeneth, and mendeth: and he that is understanding heareth counsel, 6. That he may hear the sayings and their interpretation, the doctrine of the wise and their examples.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of learning. The wicked despise wisdom and discipline.

my child, obey your father’s discipline and do not forsake your mother’s commandment.

For these things are an ornament unto thy head, and a chain about thy neck.

My child, if the wicked lure thee, follow not.

When they say, Go with us; we will lie in wait for blood, and pursue the innocent without a cause;

We will swallow them up alive as hell, and the pious as they that go down to the pit; 13. We will find great goods; we will fill our houses with spoil; 14. Dare it with us; it shall be a bag of us all:

My child, walk not in the way with them; turn away thy foot from their path.

For their feet run to evil, and haste to shed blood.

For it is vain to cast the net before the eyes of the birds.

They also lie in wait among themselves for their blood, and seek one another’s lives.

So do all the covetous, that one taketh another’s life.

Wisdom complaineth without, and is heard in the streets.

She calleth in the door of the gate in the front among the people; she speaketh her words in the city:

How long will ye be foolish, and the scoffers delight in scoffing, and the reprobate hate the doctrine?

Return unto my punishment. Behold, I will speak my spirit unto you, and make known my words unto you.

Because I call, and ye refuse; I stretch forth my hand, and no man hearkeneth unto it, 25. And let all my counsel go, and be not willing of my punishment: 26. I will also laugh at your calamity, and mock you, when that cometh which ye fear, 27. When upon you cometh as a storm ye fear, and your calamity as a weather, when upon you cometh fear and trouble.

Then shall they call unto me, but I will not answer: they shall seek me early, and shall not find me.

Because they hated the doctrine, and would not have the fear of the LORD, 30. Were not willing of my counsel, and blasphemed all my punishment, 31. So shall they eat of the fruits of their being, and be satisfied with their counsel.

That which the foolish desire killeth them, and the wicked fortune destroyeth them.

But he that obeyeth me shall be safe, and shall have plenty, and shall fear no evil.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 2
Of learning wisdom.

My child, wilt thou accept my speech, and keep my commandments with thee?

Let thine ear be attentive to wisdom, and incline thine heart diligently unto it.

For if thou shalt diligently call for it, and pray for it,

If thou seek them as silver, and search them out as treasures, 5. Then thou shalt hear the fear of the LORD, and shalt find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD giveth wisdom, and out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He maketh the upright to prosper, and shieldeth the pious.

And keep them that do right, and keep the way of his saints.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and justice, and godliness, and every good way.

Where wisdom is in thy heart, that thou mayest gladly learn, 11. Good counsel shall preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee, 12. That thou enter not into the way of the wicked, nor among perverse babblers, 13. Those who go out of the right way and walk in darkness,

Who delight to do evil, and are merry in their evil, perverse nature, 15. Who turn aside their way, and follow their way;

Lest thou fall in with another’s wife, and she be not thine, which speaketh evil words.

Forsaking the Lord of their youth, and forgetting the covenant of their God; 18. For their house inclineth unto death, and their courses unto the lost; 19. All who enter into it do not return and do not take the way of life: 20. That thou mayest walk in a good way, and keep thee in the paths of righteousness.

For the righteous shall dwell in the land, and the upright shall dwell within; 22. But the wicked shall be cut off out of the land, and the reprobate shall be destroyed out of it.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 3
Exhortation to good works. Praise of wisdom.

My child, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.

For they shall bring thee long life, and good years, and peace; 3. Grace and faithfulness shall not fail thee. Hang them on your neck and write them on the tablet of your heart,

Then you will find favor and wisdom pleasing to God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine understanding; 6. But remember him in all thy ways, and he shall guide thee aright.

Thou shalt not be wise, but fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

This shall be health unto thy navel, and thy bones shall be refreshed.

Honour the LORD of thy substance, and of the firstfruits of all thy substance, 10. And thy barns shall be filled, and thy winepresses shall overflow with wine.

My child, do not reject the chastening of the Lord, and do not be impatient with His
punishment!

For whom the LORD loveth he punisheth, and is well pleased with him, as a father with his son.

Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

For it is better to handle them, neither to handle silver; and their revenue is better than gold.

She is more precious than pearls; and all that thou mayest desire is not like her.

Long life is at her right hand; at her left hand are riches and honour.

Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

It is a tree of life unto all them that lay hold upon it: and blessed are they that keep it.

For the LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth, and by his counsel hath prepared the heavens.

By his wisdom the deeps are divided, and the clouds are made dripping with dew.

My child, let them not depart from thine eyes, and thou shalt be blessed and wise.

This shall be the life of thy soul, and thy mouth shall be glad.

Then shalt thou walk safely in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble. .

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, but shalt sleep sweetly, 25. That thou shalt not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of the tempest of the wicked, when it cometh.

For the LORD is thy stoutness: he keepeth thy foot, that it be not taken.

Refuse not to do good to the needy, if thy hand hath from God to do it.

Say not unto thy friend, Go thy way, and come again; to morrow will I give thee, if thou be well pleased.

Seek not evil against thy friend, which dwelleth with thee in faithfulness.

Be not grieved with any without a cause, if he hath not wronged thee.

Be not eager after any iniquity, neither choose his ways.

For the LORD hath abhorred of the transgressor, and his secret is with the upright.

In the house of the wicked is the curse of the LORD: but the house of the righteous shall be blessed.

He will mock the scoffers; but he will give mercy to the wretched.

The wise shall inherit honour: but when fools come up, they are put to shame.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 4
Opportunity to sin is to be avoided.

Hearken, my children, unto the discipline of your father; take heed that ye learn and become wise.

For I give you good doctrine: forsake not my law.

For I was my father’s son, a tender and a few before my mother, 4. And he taught me, saying, Let thine heart receive my words; keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.

Increase in wisdom, increase in understanding; forget not, and depart not from the speech of my mouth.

Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

For the beginning of