Today’s reading, though perhaps not marked in your Bible, covers over a section of Proverbs called “30 Wise Sayings.” As I was doing a little research on this particular section, I came across a blog called “markcole.wordpress.com” In March of 2008 the writer, whom I assume is named Mark, wrote an ‘annotated version’ of the thirty wise sayings. I really enjoyed reading it so I am going to re-post it here. I want to point out for the record that none of the follow is original to me and I assume no credit for any of it. All credit for the following material goes to www.markcole.wordpress.com. Enjoy!
30 wise sayings annotated
(the stuff in parenthesis are my comments which may not be as wise as the sayings themselves! They are there to promote thoughtful reflection on the wise saying. Comments are always welcome)
Proverbs 22:20-24:22 (Contemporary English Version)
20I have written thirty sayings
filled with sound advice.
21You can trust them completely
to give you the right words
for those in charge of you.
-1-
22 Don’t take advantage of the poor
or cheat them in court.
23The LORD is their defender,
and what you do to them,
he will do to you.
(Walmart, homeless, Katrina)
-2-
24 Don’t make friends with anyone who has a bad temper.
25You might turn out like them
and get caught in a trap.
(root of bitterness)
-3-
26 Don’t guarantee to pay someone else’s debt.
27If you don’t have the money,
you might lose your bed.
(co-signing)
-4-
28 Don’t move a boundary marker [a] set up by your ancestors.
(respect for old standards and measurements, Jubilee principle)
-5-
29 If you do your job well, you will work for a ruler
and never be a slave.
(work hard! work smart!)
PROVERBS 23
-6-
1 When you are invited to eat with a king,
use your best manners.
2Don’t go and stuff yourself!
That would be just the same
as cutting your throat.
3Don’t be greedy for all
of that fancy food!
It may not be so tasty.
(good manners, others first, avoid gluttony)
-7-
4 Give up trying so hard to get rich.
5Your money flies away
before you know it,
just like an eagle
suddenly taking off.
(You cannot serve both God and money)
-8-
6 Don’t accept an invitation to eat a selfish person’s food,
no matter how good it is.
7People like that take note
of how much you eat. [b] They say, “Take all you want!”
But they don’t mean it.
8Each bite will come back up,
and all your kind words
will be wasted.
(no such thing as a free lunch)
-9-
9 Don’t talk to fools– they will just make fun.
(foolish chatter)
-10-
10 Don’t move a boundary marker [c] or take the land that belongs to orphans.
11God All-Powerful is there
to defend them against you.
(Jubilee principle again – God sides with the have-nots. The WSJ sides with the haves)
-11-
12 Listen to instruction and do your best to learn.
(you never stop a learner – pay attention!)
-12-
13 Don’t fail to correct your children.
You won’t kill them
by being firm,
14and it may even
save their lives.
(children are not hurt by firmness – and may be helped by it)
-13-
15 My children, if you show good sense,
I will be happy,
16and if you are truthful,
I will really be glad.
(good sense is good – truthfulness is even better!)
-14-
17 Don’t be jealous of sinners, but always honor the LORD.
18Then you will truly have hope
for the future.
(good life does not equal being a rich and famous sinner)
-15-
19 Listen to me, my children! Be wise and have enough sense
to follow the right path.
20Don’t be a heavy drinker
or stuff yourself with food.
21It will make you feel drowsy,
and you will end up poor
with only rags to wear.
(don’t drink too much or eat too much!)
-16-
22 Pay attention to your father, and don’t neglect your mother
when she grows old.
23Invest in truth and wisdom,
discipline and good sense,
and don’t part with them.
24Make your father truly happy
by living right
and showing
sound judgment.
25Make your parents proud,
especially your mother.
(mom’s are awesome!)
-17-
26 My son, pay close attention, and gladly follow
my example.
27Bad women and unfaithful wives
are like a deep pit–
28they are waiting to attack you
like a gang of robbers
with victim after victim.
(avoid sexual temptations as well as falling into deep pits)
-18-
29 Who is always in trouble? Who argues and fights?
Who has cuts and bruises?
Whose eyes are red?
30Everyone who stays up late,
having just one more drink.
31Don’t even look
at that colorful stuff
bubbling up in the glass!
It goes down so easily,
32but later it bites
like a poisonous snake.
33You will see weird things,
and your mind
will play tricks on you.
34You will feel tossed about
like someone trying to sleep
on a ship in a storm.
35You will be bruised all over,
without even remembering
how it all happened.
And you will lie awake asking,
”When will morning come,
so I can drink some more?”
(avoid alcoholism!)
PROVERBS 24
-19-
1 Don’t be jealous of crooks or want to be their friends.
2All they think about
and talk about
is violence and cruelty.
(bad friends corrupt good morals)
-20-
3 Use wisdom and understanding to establish your home;
4let good sense fill the rooms
with priceless treasures.
(Better Homes and Gardens)
-21-
5 Wisdom brings strength, and knowledge gives power.
6Battles are won
by listening to advice
and making a lot of plans.
(strategize life. Make plans or plan to fail. Listen to advise)
-22-
7 Wisdom is too much for fools! Their advice is no good.
(Ignore bad advise)
-23-
8 No one but troublemakers think up trouble.
9Everyone hates senseless fools
who think up ways to sin.
(good sense)
-24-
10 Don’t give up and be helpless in times of trouble.
(Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up! – Winston Churchill)
-25-
11 Don’t fail to rescue those who are doomed to die.
12Don’t say, “I didn’t know it!”
God can read your mind.
He watches each of us
and knows our thoughts.
And God will pay us back
for what we do.
(Burma, China, Katrina, abortion, Uganda, slavery and human trafficking)
-26-
13 Honey is good for you, my children,
and it tastes sweet.
14Wisdom is like honey
for your life–
if you find it,
your future is bright.
(wisdom equals honey)
-27-
15 Don’t be a cruel person who attacks good people
and hurts their families.
16Even if good people
fall seven times,
they will get back up.
But when trouble strikes
the wicked,
that’s the end of them.
(good people fail but they get right back up)
-28-
17 Don’t be happy to see your enemies trip
and fall down.
18The LORD will find out
and be unhappy.
Then he will stop
being angry with them.
(Love your enemies)
-29-
19 Don’t let evil people worry you
or make you jealous.
20They will soon be gone
like the flame of a lamp
that burns out.
(Don’t be overwhelmed by injustice.)
-30-
21 My children, you must respect the LORD and the king,
and you must not make friends
with anyone
who rebels
against either of them.
22Who knows what sudden disaster
the LORD or a ruler
might bring?
(be careful of the temptation to side with the rebellious – it may backfire!)
Footnotes:
- Proverbs 22:28 marker: In ancient Israel boundary lines were sacred because all property was a gift from the Lord (see Deuteronomy 19.14).
- Proverbs 23:7 People. . . eat: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Proverbs 23:10 marker: See the note at 22.28.
Related articles
- Day 182: Proverbs 1-3; Introduction to Proverbs (orcministries.wordpress.com)
- Proverbs And Their Meanings (quotes.answers.com)
- Wisdom: The Principal Thing (holyspiritinspired.wordpress.com)
- Daily Bible walk: Day 150 (ispygod.net)
- Proverbs Chapters 22, 23, and 24 (nystime.wordpress.com)
- The Wise & Mighty (revolutionheroes.wordpress.com)
- Proverbs (kimriggs.org)
- Proverbs 22-24 (hisstillsmallvoice.wordpress.com)
- Proverbs 23 (cutpaste.typepad.com)
- Proverbs 25-26 (hisstillsmallvoice.wordpress.com)
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