Living in wisdom (Proverbs 11)

 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.
When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.
The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead.
With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbour, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
Whoever belittles his neighbour lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counsellors there is safety.
Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
A gracious woman gets honour, and violent men get riches.
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.
Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight.
Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.
The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favour, but evil comes to him who searches for it.
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.
If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!

The words of a wiseman Part 2 (Prov 10)

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.

The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.
The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever.
Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.
The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.
The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers.
The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

The sayings of a wise man Part1 (Proverbs 10)

 The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.
The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.
The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.
A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.

The way of wisdom (Prov 9)

 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The Way of Folly The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The wisdom of choosing wisdom (Proverbs 8)

 The Blessings of Wisdom

​Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength.

By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly.

 

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Riches and honour are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,    when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.

“And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favour from the Lord, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Let us be wise in our choices (Prov 6)

 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress..

People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.
He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.

Be wise and forsake adultery (Proverbs 5)

 Warning Against Adultery

​ My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.

And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.”
Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.

Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.
Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.
The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.

The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord (Prov 4)

 Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honour you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.

I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Trust in the Lord in Him there is wisdom for life (Proverbs 3)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Honour the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.

My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Lord teach us to value wisdom (Proverbs 2)

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,

delivering you from the way of evil,

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1)

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.;

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Till next week

 Yesterday we finished our journey in the psalms.

We will continue next week Monday.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! (Psalm 150)

 Let Everything Praise the Lord

​Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!