PROVERBS A CHAPTER A DAY
Chapters 1-9 turn out to have been an introduction to this collection of folk wisdom attributed to Solomon. Detailed commentary would be boring, so my occasional comments are inserted into the text in capitals.
CHAPTER 10
Here are some proverbs
of Solomon:
Children with good sense
make their parents happy,
but foolish children
make them sad.
YES, BUT IT SHOULD ALSO BE PUT THE OTHER WAY ROUND, “PARENTS WITH GOOD SENSE etc”
2
What you gain by doing evil
won’t help you at all,
but being good
can save you from death.
3
If you obey the Lord,
you won’t go hungry;
if you are wicked,
God won’t let you have
what you want.
OH YEAH? WHAT PIOUS PLONKER SAID THIS? IT IS PERFECTLY EVIDENT THAT MANY GOOD PEOPLE END UP HUNGRY, BOTH IN PROSPEROUS NATIONS AND POOR ONES. ALL THIS DOES IS TO ADD GUILT TO THE BURDEN OF BEING HUNGRY.
4
Laziness leads to poverty;
hard work makes you rich.
5
At harvest season
it’s smart to work hard,
but stupid to sleep.
6
Everyone praises good people,
but evil hides behind
the words of the wicked.
7
Good people are remembered
long after they are gone,
but the wicked
are soon forgotten.
8
If you have good sense,
you will listen and learn;
if all you do is talk,
you will destroy yourself.
AS A PERSISTENT TALKER I CAN ATTEST THE WISDOM OF THIS
9
You will be safe,
if you always do right,
but you will get caught,
if you are dishonest.
NOT TRUE, UNFORTUNATELY
10
Deceit causes trouble,
and foolish talk
will bring you to ruin.
11
The words of good people
are a source of life,
but evil hides behind
the words of the wicked.
IN TIME OF TROUBLE, THE WORDS OF GOOD PEOPLE BRING LIFE
12
Hatred stirs up trouble;
love covers over the wrongs
that others do.
WRONG CAN BE STOPPED BY PUTTING UP WITH IT. THERE IS A TIME FOR EXPOSING WRONG BUT ALSO A TIME FOR BEARING IT. THIS PROVERB IS EXPANDED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT LETTER OF JAMES AS “LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS” WHICH GIVES IT A MORE PROFOUND MEANING.
13
If you have good sense,
it will show when you speak.
But if you are stupid,
you will be beaten
with a stick.
14
If you have good sense,
you will learn all you can,
but foolish talk
will soon destroy you.
15
Great wealth can be a fortress,
but poverty
is no protection at all.
SADLY TRUE
16
If you live right,
the reward is a good life;
if you are evil,
all you have is sin.
GOODNESS IS FRUITFUL, EVIL IS BARREN
17
Accept correction,
and you will find life;
reject correction,
and you will miss the road.
HARD TO ACCEPT, BUT WISE
18
You can hide your hatred
by telling lies,
but you are a fool
to spread lies.
19
You will say the wrong thing
if you talk too much—
so be sensible and watch
what you say.
20
The words of a good person
are like pure silver,
but the feelings
of an evil person
are like cheap jewellery
21
Many are helped
by useful instruction,
but fools are killed
by their own stupidity.
COULD BE APPLIED TO INSTRUCTION ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING
22
When the Lord blesses you
with riches,
you have nothing to regret.
23
Fools enjoy doing wrong,
but anyone with good sense
enjoys acting wisely.
LOOK AT THE IDIOTS WHO ENJOY BREAKING THE DISTANCING RULES DURING THIS PANDEMIC
24
What evil people dread most
will happen to them,
but good people will get
what they want most.
THIS IS ONLY TRUE IN A PROFOUND SENSE: EVEN IF GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER THEY GET THE GOODNESS THEY SUFFER FOR.
25
Those crooks will disappear
when a storm strikes,
but God will keep safe
all who obey him.
AYE RIGHT!
26
Having a lazy person on the job
is like a mouthful of vinegar
or smoke in your eyes.
IRRITATING
27
If you respect the Lord,
you will live longer;
if you keep doing wrong,
your life will be cut short.
28
If you obey the Lord,
you will be happy,
but there is no future
for the wicked.
29
The Lord protects everyone
who lives right,
but he destroys anyone
who does wrong.
HOW COULD A WISE PERSON THINK SO?
30
Good people will stand firm,
but the wicked
will lose their land.
31
Honest people speak sensibly,
but deceitful liars
will be silenced.
32
The lips of the honest
Are familiar with kindness;
The lips of the wicked
With scheming.
YES, THIS IS A SHARP TRUTH
It is a conviction of most Jewish wisdom of an early period that goodness is blessed in this world and evil is cursed, that’s why it’s wise to be good and stupid to be evil. To believe otherwise of course is to provoke the question, “Why should I bother to do good?” The book of Job faces up to this issue, but gives no simple answer. Jesus answered it by pointing to the human wealth of shared community life his followers would enjoy in this world, albeit with the experience of persecution also; and in the world to come, they would have eternal life.
Emmock's Blog 