Are You Living Wisely?

¹A drunkard is obnoxious, loud, and argumentative;

you’re a fool to get intoxicated with strong drink.

²The rage of a king is like the roar of a lion.

Do you really want to go and make him angry?

³A person of honor will put an argument to rest.[#20:3 Or “It is the glory of a man.” It’s better to keep a friend than to win a fight.]

Only the stupid want to pick a fight.

⁴If you’re too lazy to plant seed,

it’s too bad when you have no harvest on which to feed.

⁵A man of deep understanding will give good advice,

drawing it out from the well within.

⁶Many will tell you they’re your loyal friends,

but who can find one who is truly trustworthy?

⁷The lovers of God will walk in integrity,

and their children are fortunate

to have godly parents as their examples.

⁸A righteous king sits on his judgment seat.

He scatters evil away from his kingdom

by his wise discernment.

⁹Which one of us can truly say,

“I am free from sin in my life,

for my heart is clean and pure”?

¹⁰Mark it down:

God hates it when you demonstrate a double standard—

one for “them” and one for “you.”

¹¹All children show what they’re really like by how they act.

You can discern their character,

whether they are pure or perverse.

¹²Lovers of God have been given eyes to see

and ears to hear from God.

¹³If you spend all your time sleeping, you’ll grow poor.

So wake up, sleepyhead! Don’t sleep on the job.

And then there will be plenty of food on your table.

¹⁴The buyer says, as he haggles over the price,

“That’s junk. It’s worthless!”

Then he goes out and brags,

“Look at the great bargain I got!”

¹⁵You may have an abundance of wealth,

piles of gold and jewels,

but there is something of far greater worth:

speaking revelation-words of knowledge.

¹⁶Anyone stupid enough to guarantee a loan for a stranger[#20:16 Some manuscripts have “a promiscuous woman.”]

deserves to have his property held as security.

¹⁷What you obtain dishonestly may seem sweet at first,

but sooner or later you’ll live to regret it.

¹⁸If you solicit good advice, then your plans will succeed.

So don’t charge into battle without wisdom,

for wars are won by skillful strategy.

¹⁹A blabbermouth will reveal your secrets,

so stay away from people who can’t keep their mouths shut.

²⁰If you despise your father or mother,

your life will flicker out like a lamp,

extinguished into the deepest darkness.

²¹If an inheritance is gained too early in life,

it will not be blessed in the end.

²²Don’t ever say, “I’m going to get even with them

if it’s the last thing I do!”

Wrap God’s grace around your heart

and he will be the one to vindicate you.

²³The Lord hates double standards—

that’s hypocrisy at its worst!

²⁴It is the Lord who directs your life,

for each step you take is ordained by God

to bring you closer to your destiny.

So much of your life, then, remains a mystery!

²⁵Be careful in making a rash promise before God,

or you may be trapped by your vow and live to regret it.

²⁶A wise king is able to discern corruption

and remove wickedness from his kingdom.

²⁷The spirit God breathed into man is like a living lamp,[#20:27 Implied by the Hebrew word nishmat , also used in Gen. 2:7.]

a shining light

searching into the innermost chamber of our being.

²⁸Good leadership is built on love and truth,[#20:28 Or “A king’s throne.”]

for kindness and integrity

are what keep leaders in their position of trust.

²⁹We admire the young for their strength and beauty,

but the dignity of the old is their wisdom.

³⁰When you are punished severely, you learn your lesson well—

for painful experiences do wonders to change your life.