A few Proverbs

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. (Pr. 4: 18)

A fool's vexation is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor. (Pr. 12: 16)

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Pr. 12: 18)

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. (Pr. 13: 3)

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death. (Pr. 13: 14)

The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands. (Pr. 14: 1)

Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. (Pr. 14: 4)

The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy. (Pr. 14: 10)

A wise man is cautious and tuns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless. (Pr. 14: 16)

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. (Pr. 14: 29)

A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones. (Pr. 14: 30)

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and turmoil with it. (Pr. 15: 16)

Better is a dish of vegetables (or a portion of herbs) where love is, than a fattened ox and hatred with it. (Pr. 15: 17)

Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it Than a house full of feasting with strife. (Pr. 17: 1)

With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Pr. 18: 20-21)

Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel. (Pr. 20: 3)

It is better to live in a corner of a roof, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. (Pr. 21-9 and Pr. 25: 24)

It is better to live in a desert land, Than with a contentious and vexing woman. (Pr. 21: 19)

He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. (Pr 21: 23)

The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it. (Pr. 22: 3)

Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease. (Pr. 22: 10)

Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, Lest you learn his ways, And find a snare for yourself. (Pr. 22: 24-25)

Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor's house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you. (Pr. 25: 17)

Like a city that is broken into and without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit. (Pr. 25: 28)

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool as his folly deserves, Lest he be wise in his own eyes. (Pr. 26: 4-5)

Like the legs which hang down from the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. (Pr. 26: 7)

For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. (Pr. 26: 20-21)

A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike (Pr. 27: 15)

She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (Pr. 31-26)


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I really didn't mean to carry on so long, and did restrain myself some here, but needed to read through Proverbs this morning and just had to impress some things upon my soul... Proverbs is so sweet and our Lord is so kind and good. Oh, that I may cling to Him!

I had a really dunderhead observation while reading through Proverbs... All that stuff in the beginning about staying away from the foolish/tempting/adulturous woman is not just a warning to men to be wary of that type of woman and/or to women to not be that kind of woman. It's a parallelism. Obviously, seeking out Wisdom, is not about seeking a real woman, but that's a whole lot easier to see! So while it is true that men shouldn't fall into a harlot's snare, and women shouldn't be harlots, it is also true that when we don't fear the Lord, when we're careless and allow ourselves to behave foolishly, it isn't just a lack of seeking wisdom, but it is playing the harlot. Yikes! I have a lot of carelessness and foolishness to repent of! Fear of the Lord, indeed!

It continually amazes me that whenever I turn to Scripture to learn how to deal with the hurt I feel from the sin of another, that God convicts me of my own sin in the matter. It is easier to forgive when I see my need of forgiveness...