Tag Archives: Bill Cloud

1 Choose a good reputation over great riches;
    being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.

² The rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord made them both.

³ A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
    The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

⁴ True humility and fear of the Lord
    lead to riches, honor, and long life.

⁵ Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road;
    whoever values life will avoid it.

⁶ Direct your children onto the right path,
    and when they are older, they will not leave it.

⁷ Just as the rich rule the poor,
    so the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸ Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster,
    and their reign of terror will come to an end.^[a]

⁹ Blessed are those who are generous,
    because they feed the poor.

¹⁰ Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too.
    Quarrels and insults will disappear.

¹¹ Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech
    will have the king as a friend.

¹² The Lord preserves those with knowledge,
    but he ruins the plans of the treacherous.

¹³ The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there!
    If I go outside, I might be killed!”

¹⁴ The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap;
    those who make the Lord angry will fall into it.

¹⁵ A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness,
    but physical discipline will drive it far away.

¹⁶ A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor
    or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.

²² Don’t rob the poor just because you can,
    or exploit the needy in court.
²³ For the Lord is their defender.
    He will ruin anyone who ruins them.

²⁴ Don’t befriend angry people
    or associate with hot-tempered people,
²⁵ or you will learn to be like them
    and endanger your soul.

²⁶ Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt
    or put up security for someone else.
²⁷ If you can’t pay it,
    even your bed will be snatched from under you.

²⁸ Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers
    set up by previous generations.

²⁹ Do you see any truly competent workers?
    They will serve kings
    rather than working for ordinary people.

Proverbs are the art of skillful living. This can only be accomplished in ones life if they fully submit to Yahweh’s spirit for discernment. Another word for proverbs is wisdom, as in the wisdom of our Creator Yahweh.

1 Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls.
    Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.

² The king’s fury is like a lion’s roar;
    to rouse his anger is to risk your life.

³ Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor;
    only fools insist on quarreling.

⁴ Those too lazy to plow in the right season
    will have no food at the harvest.

⁵ Though good advice lies deep within the heart,
    a person with understanding will draw it out.

⁶ Many will say they are loyal friends,
    but who can find one who is truly reliable?

⁷ The godly walk with integrity;
    blessed are their children who follow them.

⁸ When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence,
    distinguishing the bad from the good.

⁹ Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart;
    I am pure and free from sin”?

¹⁰ False weights and unequal measures^[a]—
    the Lord detests double standards of every kind.

¹¹ Even children are known by the way they act,
    whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.

¹² Ears to hear and eyes to see—
    both are gifts from the Lord.

¹³ If you love sleep, you will end in poverty.
    Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!

¹⁴ The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,”
    then brags about getting a bargain!

¹⁵ Wise words are more valuable
    than much gold and many rubies.

¹⁶ Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt.
    Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.^[b]

¹⁷ Stolen bread tastes sweet,
    but it turns to gravel in the mouth.

¹⁸ Plans succeed through good counsel;
    don’t go to war without wise advice.

¹⁹ A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    so don’t hang around with chatterers.

²⁰ If you insult your father or mother,
    your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.

²¹ An inheritance obtained too early in life
    is not a blessing in the end.

²² Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.”
    Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

²³ The Lord detests double standards;
    he is not pleased by dishonest scales.

²⁴ The Lord directs our steps,
    so why try to understand everything along the way?

²⁵ Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God
    and only later counting the cost.

²⁶ A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat,
    then runs his threshing wheel over them.

²⁷ The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit,^[c]
    exposing every hidden motive.

²⁸ Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king;
    his throne is made secure through love.

²⁹ The glory of the young is their strength;
    the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.

³⁰ Physical punishment cleanses away evil;^[d]
    such discipline purifies the heart.

1 Better to be poor and honest
    than to be dishonest and a fool.

² Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;
    haste makes mistakes.

³ People ruin their lives by their own foolishness
    and then are angry at the Lord.

⁴ Wealth makes many “friends”;
    poverty drives them all away.

⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished,
    nor will a liar escape.

⁶ Many seek favors from a ruler;
    everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!

⁷ The relatives of the poor despise them;
    how much more will their friends avoid them!
Though the poor plead with them,
    their friends are gone.

⁸ To acquire wisdom is to love yourself;
    people who cherish understanding will prosper.

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and a liar will be destroyed.

¹⁰ It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury
    or for a slave to rule over princes!

¹¹ Sensible people control their temper;
    they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

¹² The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³ A foolish child^[a] is a calamity to a father;
    a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.

¹⁴ Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth,
    but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.

¹⁵ Lazy people sleep soundly,
    but idleness leaves them hungry.

¹⁶ Keep the commandments and keep your life;
    despising them leads to death.

¹⁷ If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—
    and he will repay you!

¹⁸ Discipline your children while there is hope.
    Otherwise you will ruin their lives.

¹⁹ Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty.
    If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.

²⁰ Get all the advice and instruction you can,
    so you will be wise the rest of your life.

²¹ You can make many plans,
    but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

²² Loyalty makes a person attractive.
    It is better to be poor than dishonest.

²³ Fear of the Lord leads to life,
    bringing security and protection from harm.

²⁴ Lazy people take food in their hand
    but don’t even lift it to their mouth.

²⁵ If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson;
    if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.

²⁶ Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother
    are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.

²⁷ If you stop listening to instruction, my child,
    you will turn your back on knowledge.

²⁸ A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice;
    the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

²⁹ Punishment is made for mockers,
    and the backs of fools are made to be beaten.

1 Better a dry crust eaten in peace
    than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.

² A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son
    and will share the inheritance of the master’s children.

³ Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,
    but the Lord tests the heart.

⁴ Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;
    liars pay close attention to slander.

⁵ Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;
    those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.

⁶ Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged;
    parents^[a] are the pride of their children.

⁷ Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool;
    even less are lies fitting for a ruler.

⁸ A bribe is like a lucky charm;
    whoever gives one will prosper!

⁹ Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
    but dwelling on it separates close friends.

¹⁰ A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding
    than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

¹¹ Evil people are eager for rebellion,
    but they will be severely punished.

¹² It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.

¹³ If you repay good with evil,
    evil will never leave your house.

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,
    so stop before a dispute breaks out.

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
    both are detestable to the Lord.

¹⁶ It is senseless to pay to educate a fool,
    since he has no heart for learning.

¹⁷ A friend is always loyal,
    and a brother is born to help in time of need.

¹⁸ It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt
    or put up security for a friend.

¹⁹ Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin;
    anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.

²⁰ The crooked heart will not prosper;
    the lying tongue tumbles into trouble.

²¹ It is painful to be the parent of a fool;
    there is no joy for the father of a rebel.

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

²³ The wicked take secret bribes
    to pervert the course of justice.

²⁴ Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom,
    but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ Foolish children^[b] bring grief to their father
    and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.

²⁶ It is wrong to punish the godly for being good
    or to flog leaders for being honest.

²⁷ A truly wise person uses few words;
    a person with understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸ Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

1 The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales,
    but he delights in accurate weights.

² Pride leads to disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom.

³ Honesty guides good people;
    dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

⁴ Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,
    but right living can save you from death.

⁵ The godly are directed by honesty;
    the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

⁶ The godliness of good people rescues them;
    the ambition of treacherous people traps them.

⁷ When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,
    for they rely on their own feeble strength.

⁸ The godly are rescued from trouble,
    and it falls on the wicked instead.

⁹ With their words, the godless destroy their friends,
    but knowledge will rescue the righteous.

¹⁰ The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed;
    they shout for joy when the wicked die.

¹¹ Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,
    but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

¹² It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;
    a sensible person keeps quiet.

¹³ A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

¹⁴ Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
    there is safety in having many advisers.

¹⁵ There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;
    it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.

¹⁶ A gracious woman gains respect,
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷ Your kindness will reward you,
    but your cruelty will destroy you.

¹⁸ Evil people get rich for the moment,
    but the reward of the godly will last.

¹⁹ Godly people find life;
    evil people find death.

²⁰ The Lord detests people with crooked hearts,
    but he delights in those with integrity.

²¹ Evil people will surely be punished,
    but the children of the godly will go free.

²² A beautiful woman who lacks discretion
    is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

²³ The godly can look forward to a reward,
    while the wicked can expect only judgment.

²⁴ Give freely and become more wealthy;
    be stingy and lose everything.

²⁵ The generous will prosper;
    those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

²⁶ People curse those who hoard their grain,
    but they bless the one who sells in time of need.

²⁷ If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

²⁸ Trust in your money and down you go!
    But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

²⁹ Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.
    The fool will be a servant to the wise.

³⁰ The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life;
    a wise person wins friends.^[a]

³¹ If the righteous are rewarded here on earth,
    what will happen to wicked sinners?^[b]

⁴ Love wisdom like a sister;
    make insight a beloved member of your family.
⁵ Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,
    from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

⁶ While I was at the window of my house,
    looking through the curtain,
⁷ I saw some naive young men,
    and one in particular who lacked common sense.
⁸ He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman,
    strolling down the path by her house.
⁹ It was at twilight, in the evening,
    as deep darkness fell.
¹⁰ The woman approached him,
    seductively dressed and sly of heart.
¹¹ She was the brash, rebellious type,
    never content to stay at home.
¹² She is often in the streets and markets,
    soliciting at every corner.
¹³ She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
    and with a brazen look she said,
¹⁴ “I’ve just made my peace offerings
    and fulfilled my vows.
¹⁵ You’re the one I was looking for!
    I came out to find you, and here you are!
¹⁶ My bed is spread with beautiful blankets,
    with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
¹⁷ I’ve perfumed my bed
    with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning.
    Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses,
¹⁹ for my husband is not home.
    He’s away on a long trip.
²⁰ He has taken a wallet full of money with him
    and won’t return until later this month.^[b]”

²¹ So she seduced him with her pretty speech
    and enticed him with her flattery.
²² He followed her at once,
    like an ox going to the slaughter.
He was like a stag caught in a trap,^[c]
23     awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.
He was like a bird flying into a snare,
    little knowing it would cost him his life.

²⁴ So listen to me, my sons,
    and pay attention to my words.
²⁵ Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her.
    Don’t wander down her wayward path.
²⁶ For she has been the ruin of many;
    many men have been her victims.
²⁷ Her house is the road to the grave.^[d]
    Her bedroom is the den of death.