Wisdom for Today

¹The wisdom of Solomon:[#10:1 The title of this section starting with Prov. 10 indicates a different form. Solomon’s four hundred sayings of wisdom fill this section, going through 22:16. This compilation is an assorted collection of proverbs that is not easily outlined but is profound in its scope.]

When wisdom comes to a son,

joy comes to a father.

When a son turns from wisdom,

a mother grieves.

²Gaining wealth through dishonesty is no gain at all.[#10:2 Or “the treasures of wickedness.”]

But honesty brings you a lasting happiness.

³The Lord satisfies the longings of all his lovers,[#10:3 Or “satisfies the souls of the righteous.”]

but he withholds from the wicked what their souls crave.

⁴Slackers will know what it means to be poor,

while the hard worker becomes wealthy.

⁵Know the importance of the season you’re in

and a wise son you will be.

But what a waste when an incompetent son

sleeps through his day of opportunity!

⁶The lover of God is enriched beyond belief,

but the evil man only curses his luck.

⁷The reputation of the righteous

becomes a sweet memorial to him,

while the wicked life only leaves a rotten stench.

⁸The heart of the wise will easily accept instruction.

But those who do all the talking

are too busy to listen and learn.

They’ll just keep stumbling ahead

into the mess they created.

⁹The one who walks in integrity[#10:9 Or “innocence.” The Aramaic is “He who walks in perfection walks in hope.”]

will experience a fearless confidence in life,

but the one who is devious

will eventually be exposed.

¹⁰The troublemaker always has a clever plan

and won’t look you in the eye,

but the one who speaks correction honestly

can be trusted to make peace.

¹¹The teachings of the lovers of God are like

living truth flowing from the fountain of life,

but the words of the wicked

hide an ulterior motive.

¹²Hatred keeps old quarrels alive,[#10:12 The Aramaic is “Hatred stirs up judgment.”]

but love draws a veil over every insult

and finds a way to make sin disappear.

¹³Words of wisdom flow from the one with true discernment.

But to the heartless, words of wisdom

become like rods beating their backside.

¹⁴Wise men don’t divulge all that they know,[#10:14 Or “Those who are wise store up knowledge [like treasure].”]

but chattering fools blurt out words

that bring them to the brink of ruin.

¹⁵A rich man’s wealth becomes like a citadel of strength,[#10:15 Or “his fortified city.”]

but the poverty of the poor leaves their security in shambles.

¹⁶The lovers of God earn their wages for a life of righteousness,

but the wages of the wicked are squandered on a life of sin.

¹⁷If you readily receive correction,

you are walking on the path to life.

But if you reject rebuke,

you’re guaranteed to go astray.

¹⁸The one who hides his hatred while pretending to be your friend

is nothing but a liar.

But the one who slanders you behind your back

proves that he’s a fool, never to be trusted.

¹⁹If you keep talking, it won’t be long

before you’re saying something really wrong.

Prove you’re wise from the very start—

just bite your tongue and be strong!

²⁰The teachings of the godly ones are like pure silver,

bringing words of redemption to others,

but the heart of the wicked is corrupt.

²¹The lovers of God feed many with their teachings,[#10:21 The Aramaic is “The lips of the righteous multiply mercy.”]

but the foolish ones starve themselves

for lack of an understanding heart.

²²True enrichment comes from the blessing of the Lord,

with rest and contentment in knowing

that it all comes from him.

²³The fool finds fun in planning to do wrong,[#10:23 The word translated “fool” means “moron” in the Aramaic.]

but the wise delight in having discernment.

²⁴The lawless are haunted by their fears

and what they dread will come upon them,

but the longings of the lovers of God will all be fulfilled.

²⁵The wicked are blown away by every stormy wind.

But when a catastrophe comes,

the lovers of God have a secure anchor.

²⁶To trust a lazy person to get a job done

will be as irritating as smoke in your eyes—

as enjoyable as a toothache!

²⁷Living in the worship and awe of God

will bring you many years of contented living.

So how could the wicked ever expect to have a long, happy life?

²⁸Lovers of God have a joyful feast of gladness,

but the ungodly see their hopes vanish right before their eyes.

²⁹The beautiful ways of God are a safe resting place

for those who have integrity.

But to those who work wickedness

the ways of God spell doom.

³⁰God’s lover can never be greatly shaken.

But the wicked will never inherit

the covenant blessings.

³¹The teachings of the righteous are loaded with wisdom,

but the words of the evil ones are crooked and perverse.

³²Words that bring delight pour from the lips of the godly,

but the words of the wicked are duplicitous.