Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
        than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
    Desire without knowledge is not good,
        and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
    When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
        his heart rages against the LORD.
    Wealth brings many new friends,
        but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
    A false witness will not go unpunished,
        and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
    Many seek the favor of a generous man,
        and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
    All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
        how much more do his friends go far from him!
    He pursues them with words, but does not have them.
    Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
        he who keeps understanding will discover good.
    A false witness will not go unpunished,
        and he who breathes out lies will perish.
    It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
        much less for a slave to rule over princes.
    Good sense makes one slow to anger,
        and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
    A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,
        but his favor is like dew on the grass.
    A foolish son is ruin to his father,
        and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
    House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
        but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
    Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
        and an idle person will suffer hunger.
    Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;
        he who despises his ways will die.
    Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD,
        and he will repay him for his deed.
    Discipline your son, for there is hope;
        do not set your heart on putting him to death.
    A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
        for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
    Listen to advice and accept instruction,
        that you may gain wisdom in the future.
    Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
        but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
    What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
        and a poor man is better than a liar.
    The fear of the LORD leads to life,
        and whoever has it rests satisfied;
        he will not be visited by harm.
    The sluggard buries his hand in the dish
        and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
    Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
        reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
    He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
        is a son who brings shame and reproach.
    Cease to hear instruction, my son,
        and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
    A worthless witness mocks at justice,
        and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
    Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
        and beating for the backs of fools.
    Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
        and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
    The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;
        whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
    It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
        but every fool will be quarreling.
    The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
        he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
    The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water,
        but a man of understanding will draw it out.
    Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,
        but a faithful man who can find?
    The righteous who walks in his integrity—
        blessed are his children after him!
    A king who sits on the throne of judgment
        winnows all evil with his eyes.
    Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
        I am clean from my sin”?
    Unequal weights and unequal measures
        are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
    Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
        by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
    The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
        the LORD has made them both.
    Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;
        open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
    “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
        but when he goes away, then he boasts.
    There is gold and abundance of costly stones,
        but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
    Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
        and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.
    Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
        but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
    Plans are established by counsel;
        by wise guidance wage war.
    Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets;
        therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
    If one curses his father or his mother,
        his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
    An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
        will not be blessed in the end.
    Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
        wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
    Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD,
        and false scales are not good.
    A man’s steps are from the LORD;
        how then can man understand his way?
    It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
        and to reflect only after making vows.
    A wise king winnows the wicked
        and drives the wheel over them.
    The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,
        searching all his innermost parts.
    Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
        and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
    The glory of young men is their strength,
        but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
    Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
        strokes make clean the innermost parts. (ESV)

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

  Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.

  For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. (ESV)