God Is the Source of Wisdom

¹It’s as easy for God to steer a king’s heart for his purposes[#21:1 Don’t forget, we have been made kings and priests by the blood of the Lamb. See 1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10.]

as it is for him to direct the course of a stream.

²We may think we’re right all the time,

but God thoroughly examines our motives.

³It pleases God more when we demonstrate godliness and justice

than when we merely offer him a sacrifice.

⁴Arrogance, superiority, and pride are the fruits of sin.[#21:4 Or “the tillage of the wicked.” The Aramaic and the Septuagint have “the lamp of the wicked.”]

⁵Brilliant ideas pay off and bring you prosperity,

but making hasty, impatient decisions

will only lead to financial loss.

⁶You can make a fortune dishonestly,

but your crime will hold you in the snares of death!

⁷Violent rebels don’t have a chance,

for their rejection of truth and their love of evil

will drag them deeper into darkness.

⁸You can discern that a person is guilty by his devious actions

and the innocence of a person by his honest, sincere ways.

⁹It’s better to live all alone in a rickety shack

than to share a castle with a crabby spouse!

¹⁰The wicked always crave what is evil;

they’ll show no mercy and get no mercy.

¹¹Senseless people learn their lessons the hard way,

but the wise are teachable.

¹²A godly, righteous person has the ability[#21:12 The Hebrew is “a righteous one,” which can also speak of God, “the Righteous One.”]

to bring the light of instruction to the wicked

even though he despises what the wicked do.

¹³If you close your heart to the cries of the poor,

then I’ll close my ears when you cry out to me!

¹⁴Try giving a secret gift to the one who is angry with you

and watch his anger disappear.

A kind, generous gift goes a long way

to soothe the anger of one who is livid.

¹⁵When justice is served,

the lovers of God celebrate and rejoice,

but the wicked begin to panic.

¹⁶When you forsake the ways of wisdom,

you will wander into the realm of dark spirits.

¹⁷To love pleasure for pleasure’s sake

will introduce you to poverty.

Indulging in a life of luxury

will never make you wealthy.

¹⁸The wicked bring on themselves

the very suffering they planned for others,

for their treachery comes back to haunt them.

¹⁹It’s better to live in a hut in the wilderness

than with a crabby, scolding spouse!

²⁰In wisdom’s house you’ll find delightful treasures

and the oil of the Holy Spirit.

But the stupid squander what they’ve been given.

²¹The lovers of God who chase after righteousness

will find all their dreams come true:

an abundant life drenched with favor

and a fountain that overflows with satisfaction.

²²A warrior filled with wisdom ascends into the high place

and releases breakthrough,

bringing down the strongholds of the mighty.

²³Watch your words and be careful what you say,

and you’ll be surprised by how few troubles you’ll have.

²⁴An arrogant man is inflated with pride—

nothing but a snooty scoffer in love with his own opinion.

Mr. Mocker is his name!

^25-26Taking the easy way out is the habit of a lazy man,

and it will be his downfall.

All day long he thinks about all the things that he craves,

for he hasn’t learned the secret that the generous man has learned:

extravagant giving never leads to poverty.

²⁷To bring an offering to God with an ulterior motive is detestable,

for it amounts to nothing but hypocrisy.

²⁸No one believes a notorious liar,

but the guarded words of an honest man stand the test of time.

²⁹The wicked are shameless and stubborn,

but the lovers of God have a holy confidence.

³⁰All your brilliant wisdom and clever insight

will be of no help at all if the Lord is against you.

³¹You can do your best to prepare for the battle,[#21:31 Or “The horse is prepared for the battle.”]

but ultimate victory comes from the Lord God.