April 17
Reading: Proverbs 14
1 The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.
2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
7 Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.
9 Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.
17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.
21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
22 Do they not go astray who devise evil? Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly.
25 A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.
26 In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
32 The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
Proverbs 14 continues to present sayings of the wise.
vs. 1 Again, a proverb addressed to women. Are you a builder in your home or a tearer-down? To build means to work hard, encourage, be positive, forgive, to make a happy home.
vs. 4 To prosper is to have to endure the occasional messes.
vs. 5 The ninth commandment is “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Lying is bad. Lying is foolish. Most of the time lying is sinful. But the sort of lie that really makes God angry is lying to get another person in trouble. Also verse 25.
vs. 7 Do not spend a lot of time with fools.
vs. 12 The same as Proverbs 16:25. What is the “way that seems right to man?” This has to do with our own human efforts, apart from God, to figure out right and wrong, good and evil. Today, our society is committed to trying to build our own morality apart from anything that God says. It seems right to us to multiply genders. It seems right to us to kill the unborn. It seems right to us to spend our grandchildren’s money. It seems right to us to encourage greed. We are thinking ourselves to death.
vss. 20-21 Don’t be like the world, where people neglect the poor. Also verse 31.
vs. 29 The danger of anger is a repeated theme in the book of Proverbs. This verse is a warning to not be quick-tempered. Don’t be someone waiting to explode. Rule over your spirit (Proverbs 16:32). Just as we read already in Proverbs 12:16, one mark of a fool is the display of anger. In Proverbs 15:18 we are warned against a hot-tempered man who stirs up strife. That is what anger does, it causes people to attack one another. We live in a culture that is increasingly angry and our politics and media are encouraging the anger. It is tearing us apart.