These Proverbs of Solomon were discovered and copied by
the aides of King Hezekiah of Judah:
2,3 It is God’s Privilege to conceal things and the
king’s privilege to discover and invent. You cannot understand the height of
heaven, the size of the earth or all that goes on in the king’s mind!
4,5 When you remove dross from silver, you have sterling
ready for the silversmith. When you remove corrupt men from the king’s court,
his reign will be just and fair.
6,7 Don’t demand an audience with the king as though you
were some powerful prince. It is better to wait for an invitation rather than
to be sent back to the end of the line, publicly disgraced!
8,9,10 Don’t be hot-headed and rush to court! You may
start something you can’t finish and go down before your neighbor in shameful
defeat. So discuss the matter with him privately. Don’t tell anyone else, lest
he accuse you of slander and you can’t withdraw what you said.
11 Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a
silver basket.
12 It is a badge of honor to accept valid criticism.
13 A faithful employee is as refreshing as a cool day in
the hot summertime.
14 One who doesn’t give the gift he promised is like a
cloud blowing over a desert without dropping any rain.
15 Be patient and you will finally win, for a soft tongue
can break hard bones.
16 Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much of it or it will
make you sick!
17 Don’t visit your neighbor too often or you will
outwear your welcome!
18 Telling lies about someone is as harmful as hitting
him with an axe or wounding him with a sword or shooting him with a sharp
arrow.
19 Putting confidence in an unreliable man is like
chewing with a sore tooth or trying to run on a broken foot.
20 Being happy-go-lucky around a person whose heart is
heavy is as bad as stealing his jacket in cold weather or rubbing salt in his
wounds.
21,22 If your enemy is hungry, give him food! If he is
thirsty, give him something to drink! This will make him feel ashamed of
himself and God will reward you.
23 As surely as a wind from the north brings cold, just
as surely a retort causes anger!
24 It is better to live in a corner of an attic than in a
beautiful home with a cranky, quarrelsome woman.
25 Good news from far away is like cold water to the
thirsty.
26 If a godly man compromises with the wicked, it is like
polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.
27 Just as it is harmful to eat too much honey, so also
it is bad for men to think about all the honors they deserve!
28 A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city
with broken-down walls.
Text: Children's Living Bible, Tyndale House Publishing 1972
Photo Credits: Google Images
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