The Lord hates cheating and delights in honesty.
2 Proud men end in shame but the meek become wise.
3 A good man is guided by his honesty; the evil man by
his dishonesty.
4 Your riches won’t help you on Judgment Day; only
righteousness counts then.
5 The upright are directed by their honesty; the wicked
shall fall beneath their loads of sins.
6 The good man’s goodness delivers him; the evil man’s
treachery is his undoing.
7 When an evil man dies, his hopes all perish, for they
are based upon this earthly life.
8 God rescues good men from danger while letting the
wicked fall into it.
9 Evil words destroy. Godly skill rebuilds.
10 The whole city celebrates a good man’s success – and
also the godless man’s death.
11 The good influence of godly citizens causes a city to
prosper; but the moral decay of the wicked drives it downhill.
12 To quarrel with a neighbor is foolish; a man with good
sense holds his tongue.
13 A gossip goes around spreading rumors, while a
trustworthy man tries to quiet them.
14 Without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble; but
with good counselors there is safety.
15 Be sure you now a person well before you vouch for his
credit! Better to refuse than suffer later.
16 Honor goes to kind and gracious women, mere money to
cruel men.
17 Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is
destroyed when you are cruel.
18 The evil man gets rich for the moment, but the good
man’s reward lasts forever.
19 The good man finds life; the evil man, death.
20 The Lord hates the stubborn but delights in those who
are good.
21 You can be very sure that the evil man will not go
unpunished forever. And you can also be very sure that God will rescue the
children of the godly.
22 A beautiful woman lacking discretion and modesty is
like a fine gold ring in a pig’s snout.
23 The good man can look forward to happiness, while the
wicked can expect only wrath.
24,25 It is possible to give away and become richer! It
is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal
man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself.
26 People curse the man who holds his grain for higher
prices, but they bless the man who sells it to them in their time of need.
27 If you search for good, you will find God’s Favor; if
you search for evil you will find his curse.
28 Trust in your money and down you go! Trust in GOD and
flourish as a tree!
29 The fool who provokes his family to anger and
resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left. He shall be the servant
of a wiser man.
30 Godly men are growing a tree that bears life-giving
fruit and all who win souls are wise.
31 Even the godly shall be rewarded here on earth; how
much more the wicked!
Text: Children's Living Bible, Tyndale House Publishing, 1972
Photo Credits: Google Images
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