July 22

Proverbs 21:1 — 24:34



21 A king’s heart is as streams of water in the hand of Jehovah. Everywhere that he delights to, he turns it.
     
2 Every way of a man is upright in his own eyes, but Jehovah is making an estimate of hearts.
     
3 To carry on righteousness and judgment is more preferable to Jehovah than sacrifice.
     
4 Haughty eyes and an arrogant heart, the lamp of the wicked ones, are sin.
     
5 The plans of the diligent one surely make for advantage, but everyone that is hasty surely heads for want.
     
6 The getting of treasures by a false tongue is an exhalation driven away, in the case of those seeking death.
     
7 The very despoiling by the wicked ones will drag them away, for they have refused to do justice.
     
8 A man, even a stranger, is crooked in [his] way; but the pure one is upright in his activity.
     
9 Better is it to dwell upon a corner of a roof than with a contentious wife, although in a house in common.
     
10 The very soul of the wicked one has craved what is bad; his fellow will be shown no favor in his eyes.
     
11 By the laying of a fine on the ridiculer the inexperienced becomes wise; and by one’s giving insight to a wise person he gets knowledge.
     
12 The Righteous One is giving consideration to the house of the wicked one, subverting the wicked ones to [their] calamity.
     
13 As for anyone stopping up his ear from the complaining cry of the lowly one, he himself also will call and not be answered.
     
14 A gift made in secrecy subdues anger; and a bribe in the bosom, strong rage.
     
15 It is a rejoicing for the righteous one to do justice, but there is something terrible for those practicing what is hurtful.
     
16 As for a man wandering from the way of insight, he will rest in the very congregation of those impotent in death.
     
17 He that is loving merriment will be an individual in want; he that is loving wine and oil will not gain riches.
     
18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous one; and the one dealing treacherously takes the place of the upright ones.
     
19 Better is it to dwell in a wilderness land than with a contentious wife along with vexation.
     
20 Desirable treasure and oil are in the abode of the wise one, but the man that is stupid will swallow it up.
     
21 He that is pursuing righteousness and loving-kindness will find life, righteousness and glory.
     
22 A wise one has scaled even the city of mighty men, that he might bring down the strength of its confidence.
     
23 He that is keeping his mouth and his tongue is keeping his soul from distresses.
     
24 Presumptuous, self-assuming braggart is the name of the one who is acting in a fury of presumptuousness.
     
25 The very craving of the lazy will put him to death, for his hands have refused to work. 26 All the day he has shown himself eagerly craving, but the righteous one gives and holds nothing back.
     
27 The sacrifice of the wicked ones is something detestable. How much more so when one brings it along with loose conduct.
     
28 A lying witness will perish, but the man that is listening will speak even forever.
     
29 A wicked man has put on a bold face, but the upright is the one that will firmly establish his ways.
     
30 There is no wisdom, nor any discernment, nor any counsel in opposition to Jehovah.
     
31 The horse is something prepared for the day of battle, but salvation belongs to Jehovah.

22 A name is to be chosen rather than abundant riches; favor is better than even silver and gold.
     
2 The rich one and the one of little means have met each other. The Maker of them all is Jehovah.
     
3 Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself, but the inexperienced have passed along and must suffer the penalty.
     
4 The result of humility [and] the fear of Jehovah is riches and glory and life.
     
5 Thorns [and] traps are in the way of the crooked one; he that is guarding his soul keeps far away from them.
     
6 Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.
     
7 The rich is the one that rules over those of little means, and the borrower is servant to the man doing the lending.
     
8 He that is sowing unrighteousness will reap what is hurtful, but the very rod of his fury will come to its end.
     
9 He that is kindly in eye will be blessed, for he has given of his food to the lowly one.
     
10 Drive away the ridiculer, that contention may go out and that legal contest and dishonor may cease.
     
11 The one loving purity of heart—for the charm of his lips the king will be his companion.
     
12 The eyes of Jehovah himself have safeguarded knowledge, but he subverts the words of the treacherous one.
     
13 The lazy one has said: “There is a lion outside! In the midst of the public squares I shall be murdered!”
     
14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit. The one denounced by Jehovah will fall into it.
     
15 Foolishness is tied up with the heart of a boy; the rod of discipline is what will remove it far from him.
     
16 He that is defrauding the lowly one to supply many things to himself, he also that is giving to the rich one, is surely destined for want.
     
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise ones, that you may apply your very heart to my knowledge. 18 For it is pleasant that you should keep them in your belly, that they may be firmly established together upon your lips.
     
19 For your confidence to come to be in Jehovah himself I have given you knowledge today, even you.
     
20 Have I not written you heretofore with counselings and knowledge, 21 to show you the truthfulness of true sayings, so as to return sayings that are the truth—to the one sending you forth?
     
22 Do not rob the lowly one because he is lowly, and do not crush the afflicted one in the gate. 23 For Jehovah himself will plead their cause, and he will certainly rob of soul those robbing them.
     
24 Do not have companionship with anyone given to anger; and with a man having fits of rage you must not enter in, 25 that you may not get familiar with his paths and certainly take a snare for your soul.
     
26 Do not get to be among those striking hands, among those who go security for loans. 27 If you have nothing to pay, why should he take your bed from under you?
     
28 Do not move back a boundary of long ago, which your forefathers have made.
     
29 Have you beheld a man skillful in his work? Before kings is where he will station himself; he will not station himself before commonplace men.


23 In case you should sit down to feed yourself with a king, you should diligently consider what is before you, 2 and you must put a knife to your throat if you are the owner of soul[ful desire]. 3 Do not show yourself craving his tasty dishes, as it is the food of lies.
     
4 Do not toil to gain riches. Cease from your own understanding. 5 Have you caused your eyes to glance at it, when it is nothing? For without fail it makes wings for itself like those of an eagle and flies away toward the heavens.
     
6 Do not feed yourself with the food of anyone of ungenerous eye, nor show yourself craving his tasty dishes. 7 For as one that has calculated within his soul, so he is. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart itself is not with you. 8 Your morsel that you have eaten, you will vomit it out, and you will have wasted your pleasant words.
     
9 Into the ears of a stupid one do not speak, for he will despise your discreet words.
     
10 Do not move back the boundary of long ago, and into the field of fatherless boys do not enter. 11 For their Redeemer is strong; he himself will plead their cause with you.
     
12 Do bring your heart to discipline and your ear to the sayings of knowledge.
     
13 Do not hold back discipline from the mere boy. In case you beat him with the rod, he will not die. 14 With the rod you yourself should beat him, that you may deliver his very soul from Sheol itself.
     
15 My son, if your heart has become wise, my heart will rejoice, even mine. 16 And my kidneys will exult when your lips speak uprightness.
     
17 Let your heart not be envious of sinners, but be in the fear of Jehovah all day long. 18 For in that case there will exist a future, and your own hope will not be cut off.
     
19 You, O my son, hear and become wise, and lead your heart on in the way.
     
20 Do not come to be among heavy drinkers of wine, among those who are gluttonous eaters of flesh. 21 For a drunkard and a glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe one with mere rags.
     
22 Listen to your father who caused your birth, and do not despise your mother just because she has grown old. 23 Buy truth itself and do not sell it—wisdom and discipline and understanding. 24 The father of a righteous one will without fail be joyful; the one becoming father to a wise one will also rejoice in him. 25 Your father and your mother will rejoice, and she that gave birth to you will be joyful.
     
26 My son, do give your heart to me, and may those eyes of yours take pleasure in my own ways. 27 For a prostitute is a deep pit and a foreign woman is a narrow well. 28 Surely she, just like a robber, lies in wait; and among men she increases the treacherous ones.
     
29 Who has woe? Who has uneasiness? Who has contentions? Who has concern? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has dullness of eyes? 30 Those staying a long time with the wine, those coming in to search out mixed wine. 31 Do not look at wine when it exhibits a red color, when it gives off its sparkle in the cup, [when] it goes with a slickness. 32 At its end it bites just like a serpent, and it secretes poison just like a viper. 33 Your own eyes will see strange things, and your own heart will speak perverse things. 34 And you will certainly become like one lying down in the heart of the sea, even like one lying down at the top of a mast. 35 “They have struck me, but I did not become sick; they have smitten me, but I did not know it. When shall I wake up? I shall seek it yet some more.”

24 Do not be envious of bad men, and do not show yourself craving to get in with them. 2 For despoiling is what their heart keeps meditating, and trouble is what their own lips keep speaking.
     
3 By wisdom a household will be built up, and by discernment it will prove firmly established. 4 And by knowledge will the interior rooms be filled with all precious and pleasant things of value.
     
5 One wise in strength is an able-bodied man, and a man of knowledge is reinforcing power. 6 For by skillful direction you will carry on your war, and in the multitude of counselors there is salvation.
     
7 For a foolish one true wisdom is too high; in the gate he will not open his mouth.
     
8 As for anyone scheming to do bad, he will be called a mere master at evil ideas.
     
9 The loose conduct of foolishness is sin, and a ridiculer is something detestable to mankind.
     
10 Have you shown yourself discouraged in the day of distress? Your power will be scanty.
     
11 Deliver those who are being taken away to death; and those staggering to the slaughter, O may you hold [them] back. 12 In case you should say: “Look! We did not know of this,” will not he himself that is making an estimate of hearts discern it, and he himself that is observing your soul know and certainly pay back to earthling man according to his activity?
     
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good; and let sweet comb honey be upon your palate. 14 In the same way, do know wisdom for your soul. If you have found [it], then there exists a future, and your own hope will not be cut off.
     
15 Do not, as a wicked one, lie in wait for the abiding place of the righteous one; do not despoil his resting-place. 16 For the righteous one may fall even seven times, and he will certainly get up; but the wicked ones will be made to stumble by calamity.
     
17 When your enemy falls, do not rejoice; and when he is caused to stumble, may your heart not be joyful, 18 that Jehovah may not see and it be bad in his eyes and he certainly turn back his anger from against him.
     
19 Do not show yourself heated up at evildoers. Do not become envious of wicked people. 20 For there will prove to be no future for anyone bad; the very lamp of wicked people will be extinguished.
     
21 My son, fear Jehovah and the king. With those who are for a change, do not intermeddle. 22 For their disaster will arise so suddenly, that who is aware of the extinction of those who are for a change?
     
23 These [sayings] also are for the wise ones: The showing of partiality in judgment is not good.
     
24 He that is saying to the wicked one: “You are righteous,” the peoples will execrate him, national groups will denounce him. 25 But for those reproving [him] it will be pleasant, and upon them there will come the blessing of good. 26 Lips will he kiss who is replying in a straightforward way.
     
27 Prepare your work out of doors, and make it ready for yourself in the field. Afterward you must also build up your household.
     
28 Do not become a witness against your fellowman without grounds. Then you would have to be foolish with your lips. 29 Do not say: “Just as he did to me, so I am going to do to him. I shall repay to each one according to his acting.”
     
30 I passed along by the field of the lazy individual and by the vineyard of the man in need of heart. 31 And, look! all of it produced weeds. Nettles covered its very surface, and its stone wall itself had been torn down.
     
32 So I proceeded to behold, I myself; I began taking [it] to heart; I saw, I took the discipline: 33 A little sleeping, a little slumbering, a little folding of the hands to lie down, 34 and as a highwayman your poverty will certainly come and your neediness as an armed man.