Day 181: Proverbs 9 - 13

Chapter 9

1: Wisdom has built herself a house, she has hewn her seven pillars,
2: she has slaughtered her beasts, drawn her wine, she has laid her table.
3: She has despatched her maidservants and proclaimed from the heights above the city,
4: 'Who is simple? Let him come this way.' To the fool she says,
5: 'Come and eat my bread, drink the wine which I have drawn!
6: Leave foolishness behind and you will live, go forwards in the ways of perception.'
7: Reprove a mocker and you attract contempt, rebuke the wicked and you attract dishonour.
8: Do not rebuke the mocker, he will hate you. Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it.
9: Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more.
10: The first principle of Wisdom is the fear of Yahweh, What God's holy ones know -- this is understanding.
11: For by me your days will be multiplied, and your years of life increased.
12: Are you wise? You are wise to your own good. A mocker? The burden is yours alone.
13: A silly woman acts on impulse, is foolish and knows nothing.
14: She sits at the door of her house, on a throne high up in the city,
15: calling to the passers-by, who are walking straight past on their way,
16: 'Who is simple? Turn aside, come over here.' To the fool she says,
17: 'Stolen waters are sweet, and bread tastes better when eaten in secret.'
18: But the fool does not know that this is where the Shades are and that her guests are already in the vales of Sheol.

Chapter 10

1: The proverbs of Solomon. A wise child is a father's joy, a foolish child a mother's grief.
2: Treasures wickedly come by give no benefit, but uprightness brings delivery from death.
3: Yahweh does not let the upright go hungry, but he thwarts the greed of the wicked.
4: A slack hand brings poverty, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.
5: Reaping at harvest-time is the mark of the prudent, sleeping at harvest-time is the sign of the worthless.
6: Blessings are on the head of the upright, but the mouth of the godless is a cover for violence.
7: The upright is remembered with blessings, the name of the wicked rots away.
8: The wise of heart takes orders, but a gabbling fool heads for ruin.
9: Anyone whose ways are honourable walks secure, but whoever follows crooked ways is soon unmasked.
10: A wink of the eye brings trouble, a bold rebuke brings peace.
11: The mouth of the upright is a life-giving fountain, but the mouth of the godless is a cover for violence.
12: Hatred provokes disputes, but love excuses all offences.
13: On the lips of the discerning is found wisdom, on the back of a fool, the stick.
14: Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool makes ruin imminent.
15: The wealth of the rich is their stronghold, poverty is the undoing of the weak.
16: The wage of the upright affords life, but sin is all the wicked earns.
17: Whoever abides by discipline, walks towards life, whoever ignores correction goes astray.
18: Liars' lips are a cover for hatred, whoever utters slander is a fool.
19: A flood of words is never without fault; whoever controls the lips is wise.
20: The tongue of the upright is purest silver, the heart of the wicked is of trumpery value.
21: The lips of the upright nourish many peoples, but fools die for want of sense.
22: The blessing of Yahweh is what brings riches, to this, hard toil has nothing to add.
23: A fool takes pleasure in doing wrong, the intelligent in cultivating wisdom.
24: What the wicked fears overtakes him, what the upright desires comes to him as a present.
25: When the storm is over, the wicked is no more, but the upright stands firm for ever.
26: As vinegar to the teeth, smoke to the eyes, so the sluggard to the one who sends him.
27: The fear of Yahweh adds length to life, the years of the wicked will be cut short.
28: The hope of the upright is joy, the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
29: The way of Yahweh is a rampart for the honest, for evil-doers nothing but ruin.
30: The upright will never have to give way, but the land will offer no home for the wicked.
31: The mouth of the upright utters wisdom, the tongue that deceives will be cut off.
32: The lips of the upright know about kindness, the mouth of the wicked about deceit.

Chapter 11

1: A false balance is abhorrent to Yahweh, a just weight is pleasing to him.
2: Pride comes first; disgrace soon follows; with the humble is wisdom found.
3: The honest have their own honesty for guidance, the treacherous are ruined by their own perfidy.
4: In the day of retribution riches will be useless, but uprightness delivers from death.
5: The uprightness of the good makes their way straight, the wicked fall by their own wickedness.
6: Their uprightness sets the honest free, the treacherous are imprisoned by their own desires.
7: The hope of the wicked perishes with death, hope placed in riches comes to nothing.
8: The upright escapes affliction, the wicked incurs it instead.
9: Through his mouth the godless is the ruin of his neighbour, but by knowledge the upright are safeguarded.
10: When the upright prosper the city rejoices, when the wicked are ruined there is a shout of joy.
11: A city is raised on the blessing of the honest, and demolished by the mouth of the wicked.
12: Whoever looks down on a neighbour lacks good sense; the intelligent keeps a check on the tongue.
13: A tittle-tattler lets secrets out, the trustworthy keeps things hidden.
14: For want of leadership a people perishes, safety lies in many advisers.
15: Whoever goes bail for a stranger does himself harm, but one who shuns going surety is safe.
16: A gracious woman acquires honour, violent people acquire wealth.
17: Faithful love brings its own reward, the inflexible injure their own selves.
18: Disappointment crowns the labours of the wicked, whoever sows uprightness reaps a solid reward.
19: Whoever establishes uprightness is on the way to life, whoever pursues evil, on the way to death.
20: Tortuous hearts are abhorrent to Yahweh, dear to him, those whose ways are blameless.
21: Be sure of it, the wicked will not go unpunished, but the race of the upright will come to no harm.
22: A golden ring in the snout of a pig is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
23: The hope of the upright is nothing but good, the expectation of the wicked is retribution.
24: One scatters money around, yet only adds to his wealth, another is excessively mean, but only grows the poorer.
25: The soul who blesses will prosper, whoever satisfies others will also be satisfied.
26: The people's curse is on those who hoard the wheat, their blessing on the head of those who sell it.
27: Whoever strives for good obtains favour, whoever looks for evil will get an evil return.
28: Whoever trusts in riches will have a fall, the upright will flourish like the leaves.
29: Whoever misgoverns a house inherits the wind, and the fool becomes slave to the wise.
30: The fruit of the upright is a tree of life: the sage captivates souls.
31: If here on earth the upright gets due reward, how much more the wicked and the sinner!

Chapter 12

1: Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge, stupid are those who hate correction.
2: The honest obtains Yahweh's favour, the schemer incurs his condemnation.
3: No one is made secure by wickedness, but nothing shakes the roots of the upright.
4: A capable wife, her husband's crown, a shameless wife, a cancer in his bones.
5: The plans of the upright are honest, the intrigues of the wicked are full of deceit.
6: The words of the wicked are snares to shed blood, what the honest say keeps them safe.
7: Once thrown down, the wicked are no more, but the house of the upright stands firm.
8: Prudence wins praise, but a tortuous heart incurs only contempt.
9: Better a common fellow who has a slave than someone who gives himself airs and has nothing to eat.
10: The upright has compassion on his animals, but the heart of the wicked is ruthless.
11: Whoever works his land shall have bread and to spare, but no one who chases fantasies has any sense.
12: The godless delights in the snare of the wicked, but the root of the upright bears fruit.
13: In the sin of the lips lies a disastrous trap, but the upright finds a way out of misfortune.
14: Abundance of good things is the fruit of the lips; labour brings its own return.
15: Fools think the way they go is straight, the wise listens to advice.
16: The fool shows anger straightaway, the discreet conceals dislike.
17: To tell the truth is to further justice, a false witness is nothing but deceit.
18: Thoughtless words can wound like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19: Sincere lips endure for ever, the lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20: Deceit is in the heart of the schemer, joy with those who give counsels of peace.
21: No harm can come to the upright, but the wicked are swamped by misfortunes.
22: Lying lips are abhorrent to Yahweh; dear to him those who make truth their way of life.
23: The discreet keeps knowledge hidden, the heart of fools proclaims their folly.
24: For the diligent hand, authority; for the slack hand, forced labour.
25: Worry makes a heart heavy, a kindly word makes it glad.
26: The upright shows the way to a friend; the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27: The idle has no game to roast; diligence is anyone's most precious possession.
28: In the way of uprightness is life, the ways of the vengeful lead to death.

Chapter 13

1: A wise child listens to a father's discipline; a cynic will not listen to reproof.
2: The fruit of the mouth provides a good meal, but the soul of the treacherous feeds on violence.
3: A guard on the mouth makes life secure, whoever talks too much is lost.
4: The idler hungers but has no food; hard workers get their fill.
5: The upright hates a lying word, but the wicked slanders and defames.
6: Uprightness stands guard over one whose way is honest, sin causes the ruin of the wicked.
7: There are some who, on nothing, pretend to be rich, some, with great wealth, pretend to be poor.
8: The ransom for life is a person's wealth; but the poor will not hear the reproof.
9: The light of the upright is joyful, the lamp of the wicked goes out.
10: Insolence breeds only disputes, wisdom lies with those who take advice.
11: A sudden fortune will dwindle away, accumulation little by little is the way to riches.
12: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
13: Contempt for the word is self-destructive, respect for the commandment wins salvation.
14: The teaching of the wise is a life-giving fountain for eluding the snares of death.
15: Good sense wins favour, but the way of the treacherous is hard.
16: Anyone of discretion acts by the light of knowledge, the fool parades his folly.
17: A bad messenger falls into misfortune, a trusty messenger brings healing.
18: Whoever rejects discipline wins poverty and scorn; for anyone who accepts correction: honour.
19: Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul; fools are loth to turn -- from evil.
20: Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, whoever mixes with fools will be ruined.
21: Evil will pursue the sinner, but good will reward the upright.
22: The good bequeaths a heritage to children's children, the wealth of the sinner is stored away for the upright.
23: Though the farms of the poor yield much food, some perish for lack of justice.
24: Whoever fails to use the stick hates his child; whoever is free with correction loves him.
25: The upright eats to the full, the belly of the wicked goes empty.