Sunday, December 30, 2012

Proverbs 30




Proverbs 30

New International Version (NIV)

Sayings of Agur

30 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.
This man’s utterance to Ithiel:
“I am weary, God,
    but I can prevail.[a]
Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
    I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
    Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
    Surely you know!
“Every word of God is flawless;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,
    or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
“Two things I ask of you, Lord;
    do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
    give me neither poverty nor riches,
    but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
    and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
    and so dishonor the name of my God.
10 “Do not slander a servant to their master,
    or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11 “There are those who curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers;
12 those who are pure in their own eyes
    and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,
    whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth are swords
    and whose jaws are set with knives
to devour the poor from the earth
    and the needy from among mankind.
15 “The leech has two daughters.
    ‘Give! Give!’ they cry.
“There are three things that are never satisfied,
    four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 the grave, the barren womb,
    land, which is never satisfied with water,
    and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17 “The eye that mocks a father,
    that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
    will be eaten by the vultures.
18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me,
    four that I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a young woman.
20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman:
    She eats and wipes her mouth
    and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’
21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
    under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,
    a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
23 a contemptible woman who gets married,
    and a servant who displaces her mistress.
24 “Four things on earth are small,
    yet they are extremely wise:
25 Ants are creatures of little strength,
    yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 hyraxes are creatures of little power,
    yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts have no king,
    yet they advance together in ranks;
28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,
    yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
    four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
    who retreats before nothing;
31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
    and a king secure against revolt.[b]
32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
    or if you plan evil,
    clap your hand over your mouth!
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
    and as twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.”
Footnotes:
  1. Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
  2. Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Proverbs 29



I'm sorry, I've been distracted and haven't posted these in a few days. I will do better.


Proverbs 29

New International Version (NIV)
29 Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
    will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.
When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
    when the wicked rule, the people groan.
A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
    but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
By justice a king gives a country stability,
    but those who are greedy for[a] bribes tear it down.
Those who flatter their neighbors
    are spreading nets for their feet.
Evildoers are snared by their own sin,
    but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.
The righteous care about justice for the poor,
    but the wicked have no such concern.
Mockers stir up a city,
    but the wise turn away anger.
If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
    the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
10 The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
    and seek to kill the upright.
11 Fools give full vent to their rage,
    but the wise bring calm in the end.
12 If a ruler listens to lies,
    all his officials become wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
    The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.
14 If a king judges the poor with fairness,
    his throne will be established forever.
15 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
    but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.
16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
    but the righteous will see their downfall.
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
    they will bring you the delights you desire.
18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
    but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
19 Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
    though they understand, they will not respond.
20 Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.
21 A servant pampered from youth
    will turn out to be insolent.
22 An angry person stirs up conflict,
    and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.
23 Pride brings a person low,
    but the lowly in spirit gain honor.
24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
    they are put under oath and dare not testify.
25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
26 Many seek an audience with a ruler,
    but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.
27 The righteous detest the dishonest;
    the wicked detest the upright.
Footnotes:
  1. Proverbs 29:4 Or who give

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Proverbs 22




Proverbs 22

New International Version (NIV)
22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
    to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord is the Maker of them all.
The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
Humility is the fear of the Lord;
    its wages are riches and honor and life.
In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,
    but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.
Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
The rich rule over the poor,
    and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
    and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.
The generous will themselves be blessed,
    for they share their food with the poor.
10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
    quarrels and insults are ended.
11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
    will have the king for a friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
    I’ll be killed in the public square!”
14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;
    a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.
16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
    and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise

Saying 1

17 Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;
    apply your heart to what I teach,
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
    and have all of them ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
    I teach you today, even you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
    sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,
    so that you bring back truthful reports
    to those you serve?

Saying 2

22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
    and do not crush the needy in court,
23 for the Lord will take up their case
    and will exact life for life.

Saying 3

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
    do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
    and get yourself ensnared.

Saying 4

26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge
    or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
    your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Saying 5

28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
    set up by your ancestors.

Saying 6

29 Do you see someone skilled in their work?
    They will serve before kings;
    they will not serve before officials of low rank.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Proverbs 21




Proverbs 21

New International Version (NIV)
21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
    that he channels toward all who please him.
A person may think their own ways are right,
    but the Lord weighs the heart.
To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
    the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
The plans of the diligent lead to profit
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.
A fortune made by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[a]
The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
    for they refuse to do what is right.
The way of the guilty is devious,
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The wicked crave evil;
    their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
    by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.
12 The Righteous One[b] takes note of the house of the wicked
    and brings the wicked to ruin.
13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
    will also cry out and not be answered.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
    and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
    but terror to evildoers.
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
    comes to rest in the company of the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
    whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
    and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
    than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
    but fools gulp theirs down.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love
    finds life, prosperity[c] and honor.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty
    and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
    keep themselves from calamity.
24 The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name—
    behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
    because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
    but the righteous give without sparing.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable
    how much more so when brought with evil intent!
28 A false witness will perish,
    but a careful listener will testify successfully.
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
    but the upright give thought to their ways.
30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
    that can succeed against the Lord.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
    but victory rests with the Lord.
Footnotes:
  1. Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
  2. Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
  3. Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness