Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal.

Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.

You have taught many people and given strength to feeble hands.

When someone stumbled, weak and tired, your words encouraged him to stand.

I always do what God commands; I follow his will, not my own desires.

When I gave advice, people were silent and listened carefully to what I said;

they had nothing to add when I had finished. My words sank in like drops of rain;

The words of good people are wise, and they are always fair.

But because the Philosopher was wise, he kept on teaching the people what he knew. He studied proverbs and honestly tested their truth.

The Philosopher tried to find comforting words, but the words he wrote were honest.

I will give you rulers who obey me, and they will rule you with wisdom and understanding.

You spoke to me, and I listened to every word. I belong to you, LORD God Almighty, and so your words filled my heart with joy and happiness.

After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?" "Yes, Lord," he answered, "you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Take care of my lambs."

A third time Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" and so he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!" Jesus said to him, "Take care of my sheep.

to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve.

You have never had any use for knowledge and have always refused to obey the LORD.

So then, you will get what you deserve, and your own actions will make you sick.

and you will say, "Why would I never learn? Why would I never let anyone correct me?

They die because they have no self-control. Their utter stupidity will send them to their graves.

My people are doomed because they do not acknowledge me. You priests have refused to acknowledge me and have rejected my teaching, and so I reject you and will not acknowledge your sons as my priests.

Those who hear the message about the Kingdom but do not understand it are like the seeds that fell along the path. The Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in them.

This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.

Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up.

Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do.

It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense.