Sunday, October 25, 2009

Proverbs 23 - 25

Proverbs 23-25 (New International Version)

Proverbs 23

 1 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
       note well what [a] is before you,
 2 and put a knife to your throat
       if you are given to gluttony.
 3 Do not crave his delicacies,
       for that food is deceptive.
 4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
       have the wisdom to show restraint.
 5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
       for they will surely sprout wings
       and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
 6 Do not eat the food of a stingy man,
       do not crave his delicacies;
 7 for he is the kind of man
       who is always thinking about the cost. [b]
       "Eat and drink," he says to you,
       but his heart is not with you.
 8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten
       and will have wasted your compliments.
 9 Do not speak to a fool,
       for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.
 10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
       or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
 11 for their Defender is strong;
       he will take up their case against you.
 12 Apply your heart to instruction
       and your ears to words of knowledge.
 13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
       if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
 14 Punish him with the rod
       and save his soul from death. [c]
 15 My son, if your heart is wise,
       then my heart will be glad;
 16 my inmost being will rejoice
       when your lips speak what is right.
 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
       but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
 18 There is surely a future hope for you,
       and your hope will not be cut off.
 19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
       and keep your heart on the right path.
 20 Do not join those who drink too much wine
       or gorge themselves on meat,
 21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
       and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
 22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
       and do not despise your mother when she is old.
 23 Buy the truth and do not sell it;
       get wisdom, discipline and understanding.
 24 The father of a righteous man has great joy;
       he who has a wise son delights in him.
 25 May your father and mother be glad;
       may she who gave you birth rejoice!
 26 My son, give me your heart
       and let your eyes keep to my ways,
 27 for a prostitute is a deep pit
       and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
 28 Like a bandit she lies in wait,
       and multiplies the unfaithful among men.
 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
       Who has strife? Who has complaints?
       Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
 30 Those who linger over wine,
       who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
 31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
       when it sparkles in the cup,
       when it goes down smoothly!
 32 In the end it bites like a snake
       and poisons like a viper.
 33 Your eyes will see strange sights
       and your mind imagine confusing things.
 34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
       lying on top of the rigging.
 35 "They hit me," you will say, "but I'm not hurt!
       They beat me, but I don't feel it!
       When will I wake up
       so I can find another drink?"

Proverbs 24

 1 Do not envy wicked men,
       do not desire their company;
 2 for their hearts plot violence,
       and their lips talk about making trouble.
 3 By wisdom a house is built,
       and through understanding it is established;
 4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
       with rare and beautiful treasures.
 5 A wise man has great power,
       and a man of knowledge increases strength;
 6 for waging war you need guidance,
       and for victory many advisers.
 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;
       in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
 8 He who plots evil
       will be known as a schemer.
 9 The schemes of folly are sin,
       and men detest a mocker.
 10 If you falter in times of trouble,
       how small is your strength!
 11 Rescue those being led away to death;
       hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
 12 If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"
       does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
       Does not he who guards your life know it?
       Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
 13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
       honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
 14 Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul;
       if you find it, there is a future hope for you,
       and your hope will not be cut off.
 15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house,
       do not raid his dwelling place;
 16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
       but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
 17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
       when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
 18 or the LORD will see and disapprove
       and turn his wrath away from him.
 19 Do not fret because of evil men
       or be envious of the wicked,
 20 for the evil man has no future hope,
       and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
 21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son,
       and do not join with the rebellious,
 22 for those two will send sudden destruction upon them,
       and who knows what calamities they can bring?
       Further Sayings of the Wise
 23 These also are sayings of the wise:
       To show partiality in judging is not good:
 24 Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"—
       peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.
 25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
       and rich blessing will come upon them.
 26 An honest answer
       is like a kiss on the lips.
 27 Finish your outdoor work
       and get your fields ready;
       after that, build your house.
 28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,
       or use your lips to deceive.
 29 Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me;
       I'll pay that man back for what he did."
 30 I went past the field of the sluggard,
       past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
 31 thorns had come up everywhere,
       the ground was covered with weeds,
       and the stone wall was in ruins.
 32 I applied my heart to what I observed
       and learned a lesson from what I saw:
 33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
       a little folding of the hands to rest-
 34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
       and scarcity like an armed man. [d]

Proverbs 25

More Proverbs of Solomon
 1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
 2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
       to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
 3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
       so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
 4 Remove the dross from the silver,
       and out comes material for [e] the silversmith;
 5 remove the wicked from the king's presence,
       and his throne will be established through righteousness.
 6 Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence,
       and do not claim a place among great men;
 7 it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here,"
       than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.
       What you have seen with your eyes
 8 do not bring [f] hastily to court,
       for what will you do in the end
       if your neighbor puts you to shame?
 9 If you argue your case with a neighbor,
       do not betray another man's confidence,
 10 or he who hears it may shame you
       and you will never lose your bad reputation.
 11 A word aptly spoken
       is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
 12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
       is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear.
 13 Like the coolness of snow at harvest time
       is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;
       he refreshes the spirit of his masters.
 14 Like clouds and wind without rain
       is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.
 15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
       and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
 16 If you find honey, eat just enough—
       too much of it, and you will vomit.
 17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house—
       too much of you, and he will hate you.
 18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
       is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
 19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot
       is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.
 20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
       or like vinegar poured on soda,
       is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
 21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
       if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
 22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
       and the LORD will reward you.
 23 As a north wind brings rain,
       so a sly tongue brings angry looks.
 24 Better to live on a corner of the roof
       than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
 25 Like cold water to a weary soul
       is good news from a distant land.
 26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
       is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
 27 It is not good to eat too much honey,
       nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.
 28 Like a city whose walls are broken down
       is a man who lacks self-control.
Footnotes:
  1. Proverbs 23:1 Or who
  2. Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he thinks within himself, / so he is; or for as he puts on a feast, / so he is
  3. Proverbs 23:14 Hebrew Sheol
  4. Proverbs 24:34 Or like a vagrant / and scarcity like a beggar
  5. Proverbs 25:4 Or comes a vessel from
  6. Proverbs 25:8 Or nobleman / on whom you had set your eyes. / 8 Do not go

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