King Solomon’s Wisdom For the Ages!

Welcome to the conclusion of Solomon’s proverbs. Once again, I’ll only share a small portion of the verses from the Book of Proverbs found in the Holy Bible (New Living Translation).

The Moral Benefits of Wisdom – Continued

Chapter 15:

vs. 1,2,5 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger. The wise person makes learning a joy; fools spout only foolishness. Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.”

vs. 14,19,22 “A wise person is hungry for the truth, while the fool feeds on trash. A lazy person has trouble all through life; the path of the upright is easy! Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.”

vs. 29,31-33 “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous. If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject criticism, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Fear of the LORD teaches a person to be wise; humility precedes honor.”

Chapter 16:

vs. 2,3,9 “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed. We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”

vs. 18 “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.”

Chapter 17:

vs. 3,5 “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.”

vs. 9,13 “Disregarding another person’s faults preserves love; telling about them separates close friends. If you repay evil for good, evil will never leave your house.”

vs. 18,27 “It is poor judgement to co-sign a friend’s note, to become responsible for a neighbor’s debts. A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.”

Chapter 18:

vs. 2,4 “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. A person’s words can be life-giving-water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook.”

vs. 9,15 “A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things. Intelligent people are always open to new ideas. In fact, they look for them.”

vs. 22 “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the LORD.”

Chapter 19:

vs. 2,3 “Zeal without knowledge is not good; a person who moves too quickly may go the wrong way. People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.”

vs. 8,9 “To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed.”

vs. 11,17,18 “People with good sense restrain their anger; they earn esteem by overlooking wrongs. If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD – and He will repay you!. Discipline your children while there is hope. If you don’t, you will ruin their lives.”

Chapter 20:

vs. 1,3 “Wine produces mockers; liquor leads to brawls. Whoever is led astray by drink cannot be wise. Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.”

vs. 7,11 “The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children after them. Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and right.”

vs. 18,19 “Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without the advice of others. A gossip tells secrets, so don’t hang around with someone who talks too much.”

Chapter 21:

vs. 2,5 “People may think they are doing what is right, but the LORD examines the heart. Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”

vs. 13 “Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.”

vs. 20,25,30 “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get. The desires of lazy people will be their ruin, for their hands refuse to work. They are always greedy for more, while the godly love to give!”

Chapter 22:

vs. 1-3 “Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver and gold. The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD made them both. A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

vs. 6,15 “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it. A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but discipline will drive it away.”

Chapter 23:

vs. 4,12,17 “Don’t weary yourself trying to get rich. Why waste your time? For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird! Commit yourself to instruction; attune your ears to hear words of knowledge. Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the LORD.”

vs. 20 “Do not carouse with drunkards and gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty. Too much sleep clothes a person with rags.”

Chapter 24:

vs. 1,5,6 “Don’t envy evil people; don’t desire their company. A wise man is mightier than a strong man, and a man of knowledge is more powerful than a strong man. So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many counselors.”

vs. 11,12 “Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die. Don’t try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it. For God knows all hearts, and He sees you. He keeps watch over your soul, and He knows you knew! And He will judge all people according to what they have done.”

vs. 17,18 “Do not rejoice when your enemies fall into trouble. Don’t be happy when they stumble. For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn His anger away from them.”

vs. 27 “Develop your business first before building your house.”

Chapter 25:

vs. 12,15 “Valid criticism is as treasured by the one who heeds it as jewelry made from finest gold. Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can crush strong opposition.”

vs. 19,28 “Putting confidence in an unreliable person is like chewing with a toothache or walking on a broken foot. A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.”

Chapter 26:

vs. 17-20 “Yanking a dog’s ear is as foolish as interfering in someone else’s argument. Just as damaging as a mad man shooting a lethal weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, ‘I was only joking’. Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.”

vs. 24-26 “People with hate in their hearts may sound pleasant enough, but don’t believe them. Though they pretend to be kind, their hearts are full of all kinds of evil. While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, it will finally come to light for all to see.”

Chapter 27:

vs. 1,2 “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. Don’t praise yourself; let others do it!”

vs. 12.17 “A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.”

Chapter 28:

vs. 9,13 “The prayers of a person who ignores the law are despised. People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy.”

vs. 20,22 “The trustworthy will get a rich reward. But the person who wants to get rich quick will only get into trouble. A greedy person tries to get rich quick, but it only leads to poverty.”

vs. 27 “Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing. But a curse will come upon those who close their eyes to poverty.”

Chapter 29:

vs. 1,11 “Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken beyond repair. A fool gives full vent to anger, but a wise person quietly holds it back.”

vs. 15,17 “To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. Discipline your children, and they will give you happiness and peace of mind.”

vs. 20,22,23 “There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking. A hot-tempered person starts fights and gets into all kinds of sin. Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.”

vs. 25,27 “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety. The godly despise the wicked; the wicked despise the godly.”

---

There are two more chapters in the Book of Proverbs but they are not the sayings of King Solomon so I have omitted them here. However, I would encourage you to read them on your own because…Wisdom Matters!

As I stated last week, I hope you have seen some reoccurring themes in these proverbs; the benefits of seeking wisdom, making good decisions and living a God-honoring lifestyle, verses the consequences of despising wisdom, refusing correction, making foolish decisions and choosing to walk in the path of sinners.

Whether you believe in the Bible or not, I hope you’ll agree that choosing to apply these words of wisdom to our lives, while shunning foolish sinful living, is just common sense and makes good sense!

Again, for a little homework, I would highly encourage everyone to read Proverbs chapters 15-29 in their entirety. I have only given you a sprinkling of all the wisdom there for you to consider.

Also, you can grab a downloadable copy of Solomon Proverbs-Part2, the verses highlighted above, by visiting my website Wisdom-Matters and clicking on the “Free Resources” tab.

If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to sign up for future emails and blog posts HERE. Thank you!

See you next week for some wisdom on visioncasting and planning your future!