Proverbs 9

 

Proverbs 9

 

King James Version (KJV)

1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:

16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

 

Proverbs 9

 

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 Wisdom has built herself a house;
she has carved her seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her food, spiced her wine,
and she has set her table.
3 She has sent out her young girls [with invitations];
she calls from the heights of the city,
4 “Whoever is unsure of himself, turn in here!”
To someone weak-willed she says,
5 “Come and eat my food!
Drink the wine I have mixed!
6 Don’t stay unsure of yourself, but live!
Walk in the way of understanding!”
7 “He who corrects a scoffer only gets insulted;
reproving a wicked man becomes his blemish.
8 If you reprove a scoffer, he will hate you;
if you reprove a wise man, he will love you.
9 Give to a wise man, and he grows still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will learn still more.
10 The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of holy ones is understanding.
11 For with me, your days will be increased;
years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom helps you;
but if you scoff, you bear the consequences alone.”

13 The foolish woman is coarse;
she doesn’t think, and she doesn’t know a thing.
14 She sits at the door of her house
or on a seat at the heights of the city,
15 calling to those who pass by,
to those going straight along their ways,
16 “Whoever is unsure of himself, turn in here!”
To someone weak-willed she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he doesn’t realize
that the dead are there,
and that those who accept her invitation
are in the depths of Sh’ol.

　

To divide any of these verses would be a mistake. Here, we plainly see  the  vast differences in  being wise, or foolish. The choice is ours.

Very simply, very plainly.

The wise one prepares, and has made all of the arrnagements. In following that choice, we all can see the dinner that has been prepared. The table is set: the drinks are poured. Walk with wisdom, and eat your fill!

Sadly, the foolish make no preparations, nor set a banquet. Steal your drink and eat whatever you may find. So many seem to chhose that path of no resistance.

It’s difficult to prepare a table, and set a banquet fit for a King! It’s not easy making sure that all the invitations have been mailed, and thst no guest leaves hungry.Much less, have a guest who doesn’t have a good time! Any hostess can you…. it’s not easy.

Comparing wisdom to a banquet of sorts may be childish, but, it’s as plain a reference as you will ever see. Finding wisdom is  very similar to dicovering a banquet of delights! You are free to eat all that you want, and, best of all… you are not required to clean up afterward!! You can stay and partake of the dining pleasures as long as you want!! The company is delightful, the conversation stimulating!

Who doesn’t like a good party?  Our Lord has sent out the invitations…… won’t you join Him?

The first step is replying to His R.S.V.P.

All you have to do is say, Yes, Lord, I will.

Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5 

King James Version (KJV)

1My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb,                          and her mouth is smoother than oil:

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable,                that thou canst not know them.

7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,  nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.

18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe;  let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman,  and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,             and he pondereth all his goings.

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself,  and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness                      of his folly he shall go astray.

Proverbs 5 

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding; 2 so that you will preserve discretion and your lips keep watch over knowledge.

3 For the lips of a woman who is a stranger drop honey,               her mouth is smoother than oil;                                 4 but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood,                                                        sharp as a double-edged sword.                                                               5 Her feet go down to death, her steps lead straight to Sh’ol; 6 she doesn’t walk the level path of life — her course wanders all over, but she doesn’t know it.                        7 So now, children, listen to me; don’t turn away from what I am saying: 8 distance your way from her, stay far from the door of her house; 9 so that you won’t give your vigor to others                         and your years to someone who is cruel,                 10 so strangers won’t be filled with your strength and what you worked for go to a foreign house. 11 Then, when your flesh and bones have shrunk,                  at the end of your life, you would moan,                                                      12 “How I hated discipline! My whole being despised reproof, 13 I ignored what my teachers said, I didn’t listen to my instructors. 14 I took part in almost every kind of evil, and the whole community knew it.”

15 Drink the water from your own cistern, fresh water from your own well. 16 Let what your springs produce be dispersed outside, streams of water flowing in the streets;                                               17 but let them be for you alone and not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain, the wife of your youth, be blessed; find joy in her — 19 a lovely deer, a graceful fawn; let her breasts satisfy you at all times, always be infatuated with her love.                 20 My son, why be infatuated with an unknown woman? Why embrace the body of a loose woman?                         21 For Adonai is watching a man’s ways; he surveys all his paths. 22 A wicked person’s own crimes will trap him, he will be held fast by the ropes of his sin. 23 He will die from lack of discipline; the magnitude of his folly will make him totter and fall.

Verses 1-7:

 1My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:                                                                                                 :

2 That thou mayest regard discretion, 

and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth

is smoother than oil:

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death; 

her steps take hold on hell.6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, 

her ways are moveable, 

that thou canst not know them.

7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

Oh, that we would actually attend to the  hard won wisdom of our elders:  even so much more, our Father!

But, no, we are enticed away from that wisdom, by “her”…. 

whoever, or whatever, we choose to let “her” be.

Fast income, better homes, better cars, more…. stuff. 

We think we know much more than our elders can 

possibly teach us. Why can’t we realize… 

they’ve been down this path before us??? They had the 

same temptations that we face. Their lives may have been in a simpler time,

 but, they faced temptation just as we all do. 

If we would only listen, and attend, to their  hard won wisdom! 

Temptation is a very cruel mistress. 

Just when you think it has been satisfied: it raises its enticing head yet again. 

We are swept away again…will it ever end?

  Only when we realize that  the end  is very bitter:

 that  temptation is just that. It is never satisfied.

Not ever.We may spend most of our lives falling for its’ lies. 

The  empty promises of a brighter future.

 Promises that will never be kept: the only Promise Keeper that

 we can rely on is our Father!!!! 

 We need to hear His  Words now: not later….. 

we would be so much wiser to attend to His Words in our youth

. As we age, we would age gracefully in knowing Him!!! 

 In knowing that every promise that He ever made: He ALWAYS  keeps them!!

 Remember that song we sang in Sunday School?

 The one about His Promises being ours? That has not changed!

Verses 8-17

8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, 

and thy years unto the cruel:10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; 

and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

12 And say, How have I hated instruction,

 and my heart despised reproof;

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, 

nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern,

and running waters out of thine own well.

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, 

and rivers of waters in the streets.

17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.

    Let us not waste our time following down the path  of  temptation. 

Let us not waste our youth  on that path of destruction.

Giving our very souls,at times, to that  enchantress of our  destinies. 

The ones who take over our thoughts, our lives, and even our homes.

Do you think our  Creator is happy with our choices? 

That we ignore our teachings, and follow blindly down that path?

Our time is so much better spent, seeking His Wisdom… 

that we might, instead, be fruitful in our lives!! 

That we might be Blessed by Him, and see that evidence in our lives!

 He has so much better for us!

Verses 18-25

18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; 

let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, 

and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, 

and he pondereth all his goings.

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, 

and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

23 He shall die without instruction;

 and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

We all must stay true to the teachings of our  Father: 

temptation is but a strange bedfellow that none if us need.

Our Father knows our needs before we even ask:

 why waste our lives seeking that we do not need? 

Our sins will indeed be known in the end, the Lord knows them even now.

 Let not our children say that we were slaves to our follies!!!! 

Let us all be the teachers of our hard won wisdom,

 that our children may learn from us.

 Even as we learn from our Lord. 

May our hearts always  yearn to know Him more.

 

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3

King James Version (KJV)

1 My son, forget not my law;

but let thine heart keep my commandments:

2 For length of days, and long life,

and peace, shall they add to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:

bind them about thy neck;

write them upon the table of thine heart:

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding

in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes:

fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel,

and marrow to thy bones.

9 Honour the Lord with thy substance,

and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,

and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;

neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth;

even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,

and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is

better than the merchandise of silver,

and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies:

and all the things thou canst desire

are not to be compared unto her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand;

and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:

and happy is every one that retaineth her.

19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth;

by understanding hath he established the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up,

and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes:

keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely,

and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:

yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear,

neither of the desolation of the wicked,

when it cometh.

26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence,

and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,

when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again,

and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour,

seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 Strive not with a man without cause,

if he have done thee no harm.

31 Envy thou not the oppressor,

and choose none of his ways.

32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord:

but his secret is with the righteous.

33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked:

but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

34 Surely he scorneth the scorners:

but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

35 The wise shall inherit glory:

but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Proverbs 3

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, keep my commands in your heart;                                                                                         2 for they will add to you many days, years of life and peace.                                                                                                    3 Do not let grace and truth leave you —                                                                                                                                                                                      bind them around your neck;                                                                                                          write them on the tablet of your heart.                                                                                                                                          4 Then you will win favor and esteem                                                                                         in the sight of God and of people.                                                                                                                                                  5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart;                                                                   do not rely on your own understanding.                                                                                                                                         6 In all your ways acknowledge him;                                                                               then he will level your paths.                                                                                                                                         7 Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom;                                                                        but fear Adonai, and turn from evil.                                                                                                                                                8 This will bring health to your body                                                                   and give strength to your bones.                                                                                                                                                          9 Honor Adonai with your wealth                                                                and with the firstfruits of all your income.                                                                                                                                      10 Then your granaries will be filled                                                                  and your vats overflow with new wine.                                                                                                                              11 My son, don’t despise Adonai’s discipline                                                                 or resent his reproof;                                                                                                                                                                         12 for Adonai corrects those he loves                                                                            like a father who delights in his son.                                                                                                                                         13 Happy the person who finds wisdom,                                                                           the person who acquires understanding;                                                                                                                                 14 for her profit exceeds that of silver,                                                                                 gaining her is better than gold,                                                                                                                                                      15 she is more precious than pearls —                                                           nothing you want can compare with her.                                                                                                                                               16 Long life is in her right hand,                                                               riches and honor in her left.                                                                                                                                                                         17 Her ways are pleasant ways,                                                                                and all her paths are peace.                                                                                                                                               18 She is a tree of life to those who grasp her;                                                          whoever holds fast to her will be made happy.                                                                                                                        19 Adonai by wisdom founded the earth,                                                                                       by understanding he established the heavens,                                                                                                    20 by his knowledge the deep [springs]                                                                                                                                                                                       burst open and the dew condenses from the sky.                                                                                                       21 My son, don’t let these slip from your sight;                                                                                  preserve common sense and discretion;                                                                                                                                             22 they will be life for your being                                                                                                                                          and grace for your neck.                                                                                                                                                              23 Then you will walk your way securely,                                                                                                  without hurting your foot.                                                                                                                                                24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;                                                                             when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.                                                                                                       25 Don’t be afraid of sudden terror                                                                                                                                                                                        or destruction caused by the wicked,                                                                                                                            when it comes;                                                                                                                                                                                                26 for you can rely on Adonai;                                                                                                        he will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.                                                                                                                          27 Don’t withhold good from someone  entitled to it                                                                                                         when you have in hand the power to do it.                                                                                            28 Don’t tell your neighbor, “Go away!                                                                                                                                                                         Come another time; I’ll give it to you tomorrow,”                                                                                  when you have it now.                                                                                                                                                                29 Don’t plan harm against your neighbor                                                                                       who lives beside you trustingly.                                                                                                                                       30 Don’t quarrel with someone for no reason,                                                                     if he has done you no harm.                                                                                                                                                                     31 Don’t envy a man of violence,                                                                                           don’t choose any of his ways;                                                                                                                                        32 for the perverse is an abomination to Adonai                                                                                                  but he shares his secret counsel with the upright.                                                                                                          33 Adonai’s curse is in the house of the wicked,                                                                      but he blesses the home of the righteous.                                                                                                                                                         34 The scornful he scorns, but gives grace to the humble.                                                                                                                                   35 The wise win honor, but fools win shame.

_____________________________________________

“1 My son, forget not my law;

but let thine heart keep my commandments:

2 For length of days, and long life,

and peace, shall they add to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:

bind them about thy neck;

write them upon the table of thine heart:

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding

in the sight of God and man.”

Again, we are reminded here to remember His Words.

That if we engrave His Words upon our hearts:

THEN and only then, will we have a life of peace.

His Commandments… His Words, to us,

are to be the very fiber of our souls.

We are to hang on to His Words,

as though our very lives depended on them.

His Words will allow us to live the

life that He wants for us.

A life filled with favor and understanding from Him.

From our Father: our Creator.

Who doesn’t want the favor of their father?

Who doesn’t long for their father’s attention

and understanding?

Long conversations and fellowship with Dad?

“5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes:

fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

9 Honour the Lord with thy substance,

and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,

and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Allowing ourselves to think, even for one minute,

that our own intelligence surpasses His,

can be a very tragic mistake.

His wisdom is immeasurable:

our human minds can never comprehend its vastness.

In these verses, we are yet again,

admonished to trust in Him.

To acknowledge His infinite Wisdom, and to fear Him.

Not to cower down in fear of His authority:

simply to honor Him enough to know that

His wisdom is much more vast than our own.

As much as we would honor our earthly parents:

extend to Him the same honor.

As we honor Him, our Father will reward us

with far more than we can imagine.

Even as parents might spoil their favorite child:

so will He manifest His love for us.

“11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;

neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth;

even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,

and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is better

than the merchandise of silver,

and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies:

and all the things thou

canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand;

and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:

and happy is every one that retaineth her.”

Even as parents correct a wayward child,

so does our Father correct our errant,

and sometimes, immoral, behavior.

Our children have to be taught, and corrected,

from the day they are born.

Not to cross the street without looking,

not to touch a hot stove, etc. It’s a continual battle,

at times, to convince them that we know best.

Just like our Father has to convince us.

We correct our children, because we love them.

We don’t want them to get hurt, or worse.

Our Father loves us even more than we love our babies.

He chastens us as we get to close to the edge

of whatever cliff we may be heading toward.

He doesn’t want us to get hurt.

As we learn to trust Him: to follow Him…

we eventually learn the wisdom of not

jumping off that cliff.

Wisdom and understanding can be

elusive concepts to learn at times.

Remember the School of Hard Knocks?

I think I graduated from there… as most of us did.

We don’t seem to learn from our mistakes at times.

Although, when we do achieve that knowledge:

it is indeed more precious than gold.

It saves us from much heartache in our futures.

Hard won wisdom is never

forgotten. Our Lord had much rather we graduate

from His School of Wisdom, than the School of Hard Knocks.

He has much to teach us:

if we only sat down long enough to learn from Him.

“19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth;

by understanding hath he established the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths arebroken up,

and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes:

keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul,

and grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely,

and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:

yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear,

neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence,

and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

If the very Earth, and all therein,

bows down to His Wisdom,

why do we think that we are so

equipped as to not need His direction?

If we only realized our own ineptitude,

and allowed Him to guide our footsteps,

how much more would our lives be enriched?

When His Words teach us that trusting in Him

equals a peace filled existence?

That if we would learn at His feet, we would all be

much more at rest within our hearts and souls.

This world is full of fear and anxiety:

any news media will assure you of that.

In Him, we don’t have to yield,

nor permit, those fears to torment our minds.

That is a tool of the enemy…

to torture our very souls with fear.

One synonym of torment is afflict:

the actual definition of the noun is severe mental distress.

The exact opposite of what our Lord intended for his children.

Never once did He EVER intend for us to live a tormented life.

He is our confidence! He is our validity!

“27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,

when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again,

and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour,

seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 Strive not with a man without cause,

if he have done thee no harm.

31 Envy thou not the oppressor,

and choose none of his ways.

32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord:

but his secret is with the righteous.

33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked:

but he blesseth the habitation of the just.”

As much as our Father extends His Mercy to us, we need to

extend that same mercy to all of humanity.

If we are blessed more than others,

how can our hearts be hardened

to the plight of the less fortunate?

Let us not become so callous as to

ignore the pain of someone.

Nor let us become so envious of the more fortunate

that we become resentful of their wealth.

It isn’t worth it.

Let us not waste our lives by being jealous of

someone who might choose an easier path.

If indeed they become your persecutor:

remember Who was persecuted for you.

Who was crucified that you might live.

Who suffered more pain than you probably ever will.

HE is our Defender: our Champion.

HE is the Winner.

We may endure battles:

HE wins the war!

Proverbs 2 : 12 -22

Proverbs 2 : 12 -22
King James Version (KJV)
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; 17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. 18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. 19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. 20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
12 They will save you from the way of eviland from those who speak deceitfully, 13 who leave the paths of honestyto walk the ways of darkness, 14 who delight in doing eviland take joy in being stubbornly deceitful, 15 from those whose tracks are twistedand whose paths are perverse. 16 They will save you from a woman who is a stranger,from a loose woman with smooth talk, 17 who abandons the ruler she had in her youthand forgets the covenant of her God. 18 Her house is sinking toward death,her paths lead to the dead. 19 None who go to her return;they never regain the path to life. 20 Thus you will walk on the way of good peopleand keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will live in the land,the pure-hearted will remain there; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,the unfaithful rooted out of it.

We all have heard the idiom that experience is the best teacher, I am sure. To take that one step further: as we become older and more experienced, we become wiser. God’s Word teaches us here that if we seek Him, He will impart this wisdom to us. As previously posted, “if we if you will call for insight and raise your voice for discernment”, “then you will understand the fear of Adonai and find knowledge of God.” We see in these verses today, that God-given wisdom will also save us from the way of evil. It will save us from the liars that will attempt to fill our heads with their myriad deceptions. To be caught in such a web of dishonesty can be very detrimental to your well being. For so many reasons. I know from my own experience, having been on that path. It can cause heartbreak, self hatred, loss of any confidence that you may have ever had. You end up believing all the fabrications that you have been told. Even though you realize, deep within, that it is a lie: you still believe it. To do anything else would be admitting that you placed your trust in something that was beyond damaging to your very soul.
I think that we all have felt that way, at some point in our lives. God would not have us go through that: if we would only allow Him to guide us. To listen to His still small voice.. to seek Him… to seek His Wisdom. We cannot be among the “none who go to her return;they never regain the path to life.” We have to cry for His wisdom: search for His discernment so that we will not be the ones who “forgetteth the covenant of her God.” We all strive daily to know Him more: I pray that we all do. To be among the “will walk on the way of good people and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, the pure-hearted will remain there;”.
My heartfelt prayer for all of us, myself included, is to be part of the righteous…..to be one of those who can truly call Him Father. May all of you be Blessed by Him as we seek His Wisdom together in this life.

Proverbs 1:3-7

(The Complete Jewish Bible) Proverbs 1:
“3for gaining an intelligently disciplined life,
doing what is right, just and fair;
4 for endowing with caution those who don’t think
and the young person with knowledge and discretion.
5 Someone who is already wise
will hear and learn still more;
someone who already understands
will gain the ability to counsel well;
6 he will understand proverbs, obscure expressions,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of Adonai is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

(King James Version) Proverbs 1:
“3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

In my previous post, I discussed the value of “perceiving the words of understanding”. For without perception, reading is a fruitless endeavor. It is a pointless past time. To understand is to fully grasp. Then, we must receive that knowledge. Otherwise, it is simply as  seeing an expensive gift in front of you, but, never reaching out to take it. By receiving it, we “gain an intelligently disciplined life”. We are also equipped to endow with caution those who don’t think and the young person with knowledge and discretion. In other words… those who learn .. TEACH. Sound familiar?
I remember many nights studying over homework that seemed to be beyond my grasp. My father told me, very often, “when you finally see it… it will be as though you always knew and understood.” I had my doubts, but, once again… he was right! Once I grasped that evasive tidbit of knowledge… I had no problems figuring out the rest!
“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels”. We must always strive to learn.. to seek those who are more knowledgeable than we are…
We cannot allow ourselves to stagnate in our quest for wisdom and perception. “To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” Our quest for the unknown is never ending…. otherwise, we would not have researchers, or scientists… or engineers… or teachers. If we learn, and if we perceive that which we have learned… then and only then… can we gain an intelligently disciplined life in order to endow the younger generation. Always remembering that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction”.
For if we do not fear Him… if we do not stand in awe of His Omnipotence…. His Eternal Wisdom…. then our very lives are in vain. We were made to worship Him, in understanding, and in Truth. I will not willingly be a fool who despises wisdom. Teach me, Oh, Lord, Your wisdom.

Proverbs 1:1,2

In the King James Version, it is written : “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding” or, in the Complete Jewish Bible: ” The proverbs of Shlomo the son of David,king of Isra’el are for learning about wisdom and discipline”.
All of us have known that the Book of Proverbs was in fact, exactly that. We have all quoted the words of wisdom that we have found in that book.
But, have we.. really… in the words of my father, analyzed them? Really thought about them, or ever attempted to apply them to our daily life?
That is the reason that they were written, after all. For us “to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding”.
For the next few months, or how ever long it may take, I am going to endeavor to study the Book of Proverbs, and share with you, what I learn from it. Hopefully, we may even learn together!
To quote Albert Einstein – “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” I want to understand…I want to learn. As the old adage states.. a day without learning, is a day wasted! So, let me go to the One Who knows All…. let me read and understand HIS wisdom, that I may behold His Glory.
Let me learn “to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding”.
Unitl next time, my friends, I leave you with one more quote: “The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him.” ― John Milton
May you be Blessed.