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Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” Photo by Tim Wildsmith A Vision of God in the Temple (See Ezekiel 1:4–28) 6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” 9 And he said, “Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ 10 Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.” 11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate; 12 until the Lord sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land. 13 Even if a tenth part remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

But the Lord of hosts is exalted by justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy by righteousness. Photo by Tim Wildsmith The Song of the Unfruitful Vineyard 5:1 Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry! Social Injustice Denounced 8 Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you, and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land! 9 The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. 10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield a mere ephah. 11 Ah, you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine, 12 whose feasts consist of lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine, but who do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands! 13 Therefore my people go into exile without knowledge; their nobles are dying of hunger, and their multitude is parched with thirst. 14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure; the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude go down, her throng and all who exult in her. 15 People are bowed down, everyone is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are humbled. 16 But the Lord of hosts is exalted by justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy by righteousness. 17 Then the lambs shall graze as in their pasture, fatlings and kids shall feed among the ruins. 18 Ah, you who drag iniquity along with cords of falsehood, who drag sin along as with cart ropes, 19 who say, “Let him make haste, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel hasten to fulfillment, that we may know it!” 20 Ah, you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Ah, you who are wise in your own eyes, and shrewd in your own sight! 22 Ah, you who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant at mixing drink, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of their rights! Foreign Invasion Predicted 24 Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will become rotten, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like refuse in the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. 26 He will raise a signal for a nation far away, and whistle for a people at the ends of the earth; Here they come, swiftly, speedily! 27 None of them is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a loincloth is loose, not a sandal-thong broken; 28 their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind. 29 Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey, they carry it off, and no one can rescue. 30 They will roar over it on that day, like the roaring of the sea. And if one look to the land— only darkness and distress; and the light grows dark with clouds. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

On that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel. Photo by Tim Wildsmith 4 Seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes; just let us be called by your name; take away our disgrace.” The Future Glory of the Survivors in Zion 2 On that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel. 3 Whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 once the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. 5 Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over its places of assembly a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night. Indeed over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6 It will serve as a pavilion, a shade by day from the heat, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts. Photo by Tim Wildsmith 3:3 For now the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and staff— all support of bread, and all support of water— 2 warrior and soldier, judge and prophet, diviner and elder, 3 captain of fifty and dignitary, counselor and skillful magician and expert enchanter. 4 And I will make boys their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 5 The people will be oppressed, everyone by another and everyone by a neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the base to the honorable. 6 Someone will even seize a relative, a member of the clan, saying, “You have a cloak; you shall be our leader, and this heap of ruins shall be under your rule.” 7 But the other will cry out on that day, saying, “I will not be a healer; in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; you shall not make me leader of the people.” 8 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. 9 The look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom, they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. 10 Tell the innocent how fortunate they are, for they shall eat the fruit of their labors. 11 Woe to the guilty! How unfortunate they are, for what their hands have done shall be done to them. 12 My people—children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths. 13 The Lord rises to argue his case; he stands to judge the peoples. 14 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: It is you who have devoured the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts. 16 The Lord said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet; 17 the Lord will afflict with scabs the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts. 18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; 19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarfs; 20 the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21 the signet rings and nose rings; 22 the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; 23 the garments of gauze, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. 24 Instead of perfume there will be a stench; and instead of a sash, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a binding of sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame. 25 Your men shall fall by the sword and your warriors in battle. 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; ravaged, she shall sit upon the ground. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Turn away from mortals, who have only breath in their nostrils, for of what account are they? Photo by Tim Wildsmith The Future House of God (Micah 4:1–5) 2 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. 3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Judgment Pronounced on Arrogance 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord! 6 For you have forsaken the ways of your people, O house of Jacob. Indeed they are full of diviners from the east and of soothsayers like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with foreigners. 7 Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. 9 And so people are humbled, and everyone is brought low— do not forgive them! 10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty. 11 The haughty eyes of people shall be brought low, and the pride of everyone shall be humbled; and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. 12 For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high; 13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; 14 against all the high mountains, and against all the lofty hills; 15 against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; 16 against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. 17 The haughtiness of people shall be humbled, and the pride of everyone shall be brought low; and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. 18 The idols shall utterly pass away. 19 Enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. 20 On that day people will throw away to the moles and to the bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, 21 to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts in the crags, from the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. 22 Turn away from mortals, who have only breath in their nostrils, for of what account are they? New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. Photo by Tim Wildsmith 1:1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The Wickedness of Judah 2 Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. 4 Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the Lord, who have despised the Holy One of Israel, who are utterly estranged! 5 Why do you seek further beatings? Why do you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and bleeding wounds; they have not been drained, or bound up, or softened with oil. 7 Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence aliens devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. 8 And daughter Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a shelter in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. 9 If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; 13 bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation— I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. 14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. The Degenerate City 21 How the faithful city has become a whore! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her— but now murderers! 22 Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water. 23 Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause does not come before them. 24 Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies, and avenge myself on my foes! 25 I will turn my hand against you; I will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. 26 And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. 29 For you shall be ashamed of the oaks in which you delighted; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen. 30 For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. 31 The strong shall become like tinder, and their work like a spark; they and their work shall burn together, with no one to quench them. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

The Books of the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) Previous Book: Ecclesiastes    Next Book: Isaiah   Chapter 1 Colloquy of Bride & Friends | Song of Solomon 1 Chapter 2 Springtime Rhapsody | Song of Solomon 2 Chapter 3 Love’s Dream | Song of Solomon 3 The Groom and His Party Approach | Song of Solomon 3 Chapter 4 The Bride’s Beauty Extolled | Song of Solomon 4 Chapter 5 Another Dream | Song of Solomon 5 Colloquy of Friends and Bride | Song of Solomon 5-6 Chapter 6 The Bride’s Matchless Beauty | Song of Solomon 6 Chapter 7 Expressions of Praise | Song of Solomon 7 Chapter 8 Homecoming | Song of Solomon 8 Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, handmade products, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. The Books of the Bible Photo by Worshae A Plea for Repentance 14:1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. 2 Take words with you and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips. 3 Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” Assurance of Forgiveness 4 I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon. 6 His shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like that of Lebanon. 7 They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon. 8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; your faithfulness comes from me. 9 Those who are wise understand these things; those who are discerning know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! We offer a wealth of articles, videos, and courses on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. The Books of the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) Photo by Saad Chaudhry Previous Book: Proverbs Next Book: Song of Songs   Language Hebrew Section of Tanakh Ketuvim (Scriptures) Author Solomon Chapters Chapter 1 Reflections of a Royal Philosopher The Futility of Seeking Wisdom Chapter 2 The Futility of Self–Indulgence Wisdom and Joy Given to One Who Pleases God Chapter 3 Everything Has Its Time Judgment and the Future Belong to God Chapter 4 ​The Value of a Friend Chapter 5 Reverence, Humility, and Contentment Chapter 6 ​The Frustration of Desires Chapter 7 ​A Disillusioned View of Life The Riddles of Life Obey the King and Enjoy Yourself Chapter 8 God’s Ways Are Inscrutable Chapter 9 Take Life as It Comes Wisdom Superior to Folly Chapter 10 Miscellaneous Observations Chapter 11 The Value of Diligence Youth and Old Age Chapter 12 ​Epilogue Highlights: Reflections of a Royal Philosopher Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow. 8 All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has already been, in the ages before us. 11 The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them. Everything Has Its Time Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, handmade products, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Photo by Chris Lawton Everything Has Its Time 1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. The God–Given Task 9    What gain have the workers from their toil? 10  I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. 11  He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12  I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13  moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. 14  I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. 15  That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by. a   Judgment and the Future Belong to God 16    Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. 17  I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work. 18  I said in my heart with regard to human beings that God is testing them to show that they are but animals. 19  For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity. 20  All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21  Who knows whether the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth? 22  So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them? New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, handmade products, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." The Books of the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) Photo by Alabaster Co. Previous Book: Psalms Next Book: Ecclesiastes   Language Hebrew Author Solomon Chapter 1 Prologue | Proverbs 1 Warnings against Evil Companions | Proverbs 1 The Call of Wisdom | Proverbs 1 Chapter 2 The Value of Wisdom | Proverbs 2 Chapter 3 Admonition to Trust and Honor God | Proverbs 3 True Wealth | Proverbs 3 The True Security | Proverbs 3 Chapter 4 Parental Advice | Proverbs 4 Admonition to Keep to the Right Path | Proverbs 4 Chapter 5 Warning against Impurity and Infidelity | Proverbs 5 Chapter 6 Practical Admonitions | Proverbs 6 Chapter 7 The False Attractions of Adultery | Proverbs 7 Chapter 8 The Gifts of Wisdom | Proverbs 8 Wisdom’s Part in Creation | Proverbs 8 Chapter 9 Wisdom’s Feast | Proverbs 9 General Maxims | Proverbs 9 Folly’s Invitation & Promise | Proverbs 9 Chapter 10 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 10 Chapter 11 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 11 Chapter 12 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 12 Chapter 13 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 13 Chapter 14 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 14 Chapter 15 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 15 Chapter 16 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 16 Chapter 17 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 17 Chapter 18 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 18 Chapter 19 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 19 Chapter 20 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 20 Chapter 21 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 21 Chapter 22 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 22 Chapter 23 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 23 Chapter 24 More Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 24 Chapter 25 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 25 Chapter 26 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 26 Chapter 27 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 27 Chapter 28 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 28 Chapter 29 Wise Sayings of Solomon | Proverbs 29 Chapter 30 Sayings of Agur | Proverbs 30 Chapter 31 The Teaching of King Lemuel’s Mother | Proverbs 31 Ode to a Capable Wife | Proverbs 31 Highlights Proverbs. 1:2-7 1 For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight, 3 for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young— 5 Let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill, 6 to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Warnings against Evil Companions Proverbs 1:8 8 Hear, my child, your father’s instruction, and do not reject your mother’s teaching; 9 for they are a fair garland for your head, and pendants for your neck. 10 My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us wantonly ambush the innocent; 12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down to the Pit. 13 We shall find all kinds of costly things; we shall fill our houses with booty. 14 Throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”— 15 my child, do not walk in their way, keep your foot from their paths; 16 for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood. 17 For in vain is the net baited while the bird is looking on; 18 yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves! and set an ambush—for their own lives! 19 Such is the end of all who are greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its possessors. The Value of Wisdom Proverbs 2:1 1 My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; 4 if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures— 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly, 8 guarding the paths of justice and preserving the way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; 10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 prudence will watch over you; and understanding will guard you. 12 It will save you from the way of evil, from those who speak perversely, 13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, 14 who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil; 15 those whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. Parental Advice Proverbs 4:1 1 Listen, children, to a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight; 2 for I give you good precepts: do not forsake my teaching. 3 When I was a son with my father, tender, and my mother’s favorite, 4 he taught me, and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. 5 Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight. 8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head a fair garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, handmade products, and spiritual apparel! 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Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Photo by Alabaster Co The Teaching of King Lemuel’s Mother 31:1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 No, my son! No, son of my womb! No, son of my vows! 3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire a strong drink; 5 or else they will drink and forget what has been decreed, and will pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; 7 let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. 8 Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. 9 Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Ode to a Capable Wife 10 A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 14 She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away. 15 She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant girls. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20 She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson. 22 She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

She is far more precious than jewels. Photo by One Zone Studio Ode to a Capable Wife Prov. 31:10-31 10 A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 14 She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away. 15 She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant girls. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20 She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson. 22 She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates. 1 New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, handmade products, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Photo by Alabaster Co Sayings of Agur 30:1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle. Thus says the man: I am weary, O God, I am weary, O God. How can I prevail? 2 Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the holy ones. 4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is the person’s name? And what is the name of the person’s child? Surely you know! 5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar. 7 Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die: 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need, 9 or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, “Who is the LORD?” or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God. 10 Do not slander a servant to a master, or the servant will curse you, and you will be held guilty. 11 There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. 12 There are those who are pure in their own eyes yet are not cleansed of their filthiness. 13 There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! 14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose teeth are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mortals. 15 The leech has two daughters; “Give, give,” they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”: 16 Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.” 17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. 18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a girl. 20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, “I have done no wrong.” 21 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: 22 a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when glutted with food; 23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maid when she succeeds her mistress. 24 Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: 25 the ants are a people without strength, yet they provide their food in the summer; 26 the badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in the rocks; 27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; 28 the lizard can be grasped in the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces. 29 Three things are stately in their stride; four are stately in their gait: 30 the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals and does not turn back before any; 31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king striding before his people. 32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. 33 For as pressing milk produces curds, and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing anger produces strife. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back. Photo by Alabaster Co 29:1 One who is often reproved, yet remains stubborn, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan. 3 A child who loves wisdom makes a parent glad, but to keep company with prostitutes is to squander one’s substance. 4 By justice a king gives stability to the land, but one who makes heavy exactions ruins it. 5 Whoever flatters a neighbor is spreading a net for the neighbor’s feet. 6 In the transgression of the evil there is a snare, but the righteous sing and rejoice. 7 The righteous know the rights of the poor; the wicked have no such understanding. 8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. 9 If the wise go to law with fools, there is ranting and ridicule without relief. 10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, and they seek the life of the upright. 11 A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back. 12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked. 13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common: the LORD gives light to the eyes of both. 14 If a king judges the poor with equity, his throne will be established forever. 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by a neglected child. 16 When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall. 17 Discipline your children, and they will give you rest; they will give delight to your heart. 18 Where there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint, but happy are those who keep the law. 19 By mere words servants are not disciplined, for though they understand, they will not give heed. 20 Do you see someone who is hasty in speech? There is more hope for a fool than for anyone like that. 21 A slave pampered from childhood will come to a bad end. a 22 One given to anger stirs up strife, and the hothead causes much transgression. 23 A person’s pride will bring humiliation, but one who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. 24 To be a partner of a thief is to hate one’s own life; one hears the victim’s curse, but discloses nothing. 25 The fear of others lays a snare, but one who trusts in the LORD is secure. 26 Many seek the favor of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that one gets justice. 27 The unjust are an abomination to the righteous, but the upright are an abomination to the wicked. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse. Photo by Alabaster Co 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. 2 When a land rebels it has many rulers; but with an intelligent ruler there is lasting order. 3 A ruler who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food. 4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law struggle against them. 5 The evil do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely. 6 Better to be poor and walk in integrity than to be crooked in one’s ways even though rich. 7 Those who keep the law are wise children, but companions of gluttons shame their parents. 8 One who augments wealth by exorbitant interest gathers it for another who is kind to the poor. 9 When one will not listen to the law, even one’s prayers are an abomination. 10 Those who mislead the upright into evil ways will fall into pits of their own making, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. 11 The rich is wise in self-esteem, but an intelligent poor person sees through the pose. 12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked prevail, people go into hiding. 13 No one who conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. 14 Happy is the one who is never without fear, but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity. 15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. 16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor; but one who hates unjust gain will enjoy a long life. 17 If someone is burdened with the blood of another, let that killer be a fugitive until death; let no one offer assistance. 18 One who walks in integrity will be safe, but whoever follows crooked ways will fall into the Pit. 19 Anyone who tills the land will have plenty of bread, but one who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. 20 The faithful will abound with blessings, but one who is in a hurry to be rich will not go unpunished. 21 To show partiality is not good— yet for a piece of bread a person may do wrong. 22 The miser is in a hurry to get rich and does not know that loss is sure to come. 23 Whoever rebukes a person will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue. 24 Anyone who robs father or mother and says, “That is no crime,” is partner to a thug. 25 The greedy person stirs up strife, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be enriched. 26 Those who trust in their own wits are fools; but those who walk in wisdom come through safely. 27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse. 28 When the wicked prevail, people go into hiding; but when they perish, the righteous increase. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another. Photo by Alabaster Co 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. 2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth— a stranger, and not your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both. 4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who is able to stand before jealousy? 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts, but profuse are the kisses of an enemy. 7 The sated appetite spurns honey, but to a ravenous appetite even the bitter is sweet. 8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is one who strays from home. 9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the soul is torn by trouble. 10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent; do not go to the house of your kindred in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is nearby than kindred who are far away. 11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad, so that I may answer whoever reproaches me. 12 The clever see danger and hide; but the simple go on, and suffer for it. 13 Take the garment of one who has given surety for a stranger; seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners. 14 Whoever blesses a neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. 15 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike; 16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in the right hand. 17 Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another. 18 Anyone who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and anyone who takes care of a master will be honored. 19 Just as water reflects the face, so one human heart reflects another. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and human eyes are never satisfied. 21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, so a person is tested by being praised. 22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, but the folly will not be driven out. 23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds; 24 for riches do not last forever, nor a crown for all generations. 25 When the grass is gone, and new growth appears, and the herbage of the mountains is gathered, 26 the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field; 27 there will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household and nourishment for your servant girls. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling. Photo by Alabaster Co 26:1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. 2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere. 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. 4 Do not answer fools according to their folly, or you will be a fool yourself. 5 Answer fools according to their folly, or they will be wise in their own eyes. 6 It is like cutting off one’s foot and drinking down violence, to send a message by a fool. 7 The legs of a disabled person hang limp; so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 8 It is like binding a stone in a sling to give honor to a fool. 9 Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 10 Like an archer who wounds everybody is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. 11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly. 12 Do you see persons wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for fools than for them. 13 The lazy person says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does a lazy person in bed. 15 The lazy person buries a hand in the dish, and is too tired to bring it back to the mouth. 16 The lazy person is wiser in self-esteem than seven who can answer discreetly. 17 Like somebody who takes a passing dog by the ears is one who meddles in the quarrel of another. 18 Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows, 19 so is one who deceives a neighbor and says, “I am only joking!” 20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. 21 As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. 22 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. 23 Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are smooth lips with an evil heart. 24 An enemy dissembles in speaking while harboring deceit within; 25 when an enemy speaks graciously, do not believe it, for there are seven abominations concealed within; 26 though hatred is covered with guile, the enemy’s wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling. 28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Like a city breached, without walls, is one who lacks self-control. Photo by Alabaster Co 25:1 These are other proverbs of Solomon that the officials of King Hezekiah of Judah copied. 2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. 3 Like the heavens for height, like the earth for depth, so the mind of kings is unsearchable. 4 Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; 5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. 6 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; 7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen 8 do not hastily bring into court; for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor directly, and do not disclose another’s secret; 10 or else someone who hears you will bring shame upon you, and your ill repute will have no end. 11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise rebuke to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest are faithful messengers to those who send them; they refresh the spirit of their masters. 14 Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of a gift never given. 15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue can break bones. 16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, or else, having too much, you will vomit it. 17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, otherwise the neighbor will become weary of you and hate you. 18 Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow is one who bears false witness against a neighbor. 19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is trust in a faithless person in time of trouble. 20 Like vinegar on a wound is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. Like a moth in clothing or a worm in wood, sorrow gnaws at the human heart. 21 If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink; 22 for you will heap coals of fire on their heads, and the LORD will reward you. 23 The north wind produces rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. 24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a contentious wife. 25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. 26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain are the righteous who give way before the wicked. 27 It is not good to eat much honey, or to seek honor on top of honor. 28 Like a city breached, without walls, is one who lacks self-control. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Photo by Alabaster Co 1 Do not envy the wicked, nor desire to be with them; 2 for their minds devise violence, and their lips talk of mischief. 3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5 Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones, a and those who have knowledge than those who have strength; 6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. 7 Wisdom is too high for fools; in the gate they do not open their mouths. 8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a mischief-maker. 9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to all. 10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength being small; 11 if you hold back from rescuing those taken away to death, those who go staggering to the slaughter; 12 if you say, “Look, we did not know this”— does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it? And will he not repay all according to their deeds? 13 My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, you will find a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the home of the righteous; do no violence to the place where the righteous live; 16 for though they fall seven times, they will rise again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. 17 Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble, 18 or else the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from them. 19 Do not fret because of evildoers. Do not envy the wicked; 20 for the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will go out. 21 My child, fear the LORD and the king, and do not disobey either of them; a 22 for disaster comes from them suddenly, and who knows the ruin that both can bring? 23 These also are sayings of the wise: Partiality in judging is not good. 24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations; 25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. 26 One who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips. 27 Prepare your work outside, get everything ready for you in the field; and after that build your house. 28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. 29 Do not say, “I will do to others as they have done to me; I will pay them back for what they have done.” 30 I passed by the field of one who was lazy, by the vineyard of a stupid person; 31 and see, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want, like an armed warrior. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but maintains the widow’s boundaries. Photo by Alabaster Co 23:1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, 2 and put a knife to your throat if you have a big appetite. 3 Do not desire the ruler’s delicacies, for they are deceptive food. 4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist. 5 When your eyes light upon it, it is gone; for suddenly it takes wings to itself, flying like an eagle toward heaven. 6 Do not eat the bread of the stingy; do not desire their delicacies; 7 for like a hair in the throat, so are they. “Eat and drink!” they say to you; but they do not mean it. 8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten, and you will waste your pleasant words. 9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, who will only despise the wisdom of your words. 10 Do not remove an ancient landmark or encroach on the fields of orphans, 11 for their redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. 12 Apply your mind to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. 13 Do not withhold discipline from your children; if you beat them with a rod, they will not die. 14 If you beat them with the rod, you will save their lives from Sheol. 15 My child, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. 16 My soul will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD. 18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 19 Hear, my child, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way. 20 Do not be among winebibbers, or among gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them with rags. 22 Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. 23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who begets a wise son will be glad in him. 25 Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. 26 My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. 27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well. 28 She lies in wait like a robber and increases the number of the faithless. 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger late over wine, those who keep trying mixed wines. 31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind utter perverse things. 34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. 35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.” New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. Photo by Alabaster Co 22:1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD is the maker of them all. 3 The clever see danger and hide; but the simple go on, and suffer for it. 4 The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life. 5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; the cautious will keep far from them. 6 Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. 7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. 8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of anger will fail. 9 Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor. 10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out; quarreling and abuse will cease. 11 Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech will have the king as a friend. 12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the faithless. 13 The lazy person says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” 14 The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit; he with whom the LORD is angry falls into it. 15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy, but the rod of discipline drives it far away. 16 Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss. The words of the wise:  Incline your ear and hear my words,  and apply your mind to my teaching; 18   for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19   So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today—yes, to you. 20   Have I not written for you thirty sayings of admonition and knowledge, 21   to show you what is right and true, so that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?   22     Do not rob the poor because they are poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; 23   for the LORD pleads their cause and despoils of life those who despoil them. 24   Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate with hotheads, 25   or you may learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare. 26   Do not be one of those who give pledges, who become surety for debts. 27   If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? 28   Do not remove the ancient landmark that your ancestors set up. 29   Do you see those who are skillful in their work? they will serve kings; they will not serve common people. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard. Photo by Alabaster Co 21:1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. 2 All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the LORD weighs the heart. 3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. 4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the lamp of the wicked—are sin. 5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to want. 6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death. 7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just. 8 The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is right. 9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a contentious wife. 10 The souls of the wicked desire evil; their neighbors find no mercy in their eyes. 11 When a scoffer is punished, the simple become wiser; when the wise are instructed, they increase in knowledge. 12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he casts the wicked down to ruin. 13 If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard. 14 A gift in secret averts anger; and a concealed bribe in the bosom, strong wrath. 15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous, but dismay to evildoers. 16 Whoever wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. 17 Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want; whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich. 18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright. 19 It is better to live in a desert land than with a contentious and fretful wife. 20 Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool devours it. 21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor. 22 One wise person went up against a city of warriors and brought down the stronghold in which they trusted. 23 To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble. 24 The proud, haughty person, named “Scoffer,” acts with arrogant pride. 25 The craving of the lazy person is fatal, for lazy hands refuse to labor. 26 All day long the wicked covet, but the righteous give and do not hold back. 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when brought with evil intent. 28 A false witness will perish, but a good listener will testify successfully. 29 The wicked put on a bold face, but the upright give thought to their ways. 30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, can avail against the LORD. 31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

Who can say, “I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin”? Photo by Alabaster Co 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. 2 The dread anger of a king is like the growling of a lion; anyone who provokes him to anger forfeits life itself. 3 It is honorable to refrain from strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. 4 The lazy person does not plow in season; harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found. 5 The purposes in the human mind are like deep water, but the intelligent will draw them out. 6 Many proclaim themselves loyal, but who can find one worthy of trust? 7 The righteous walk in integrity— happy are the children who follow them! 8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes. 9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin”? 10 Diverse weights and diverse measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD. 11 Even children make themselves known by their acts, by whether what they do is pure and right. 12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye— the LORD has made them both. 13 Do not love sleep, or else you will come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. 14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, then goes away and boasts. 15 There is gold, and abundance of costly stones; but the lips informed by knowledge are a precious jewel. 16 Take the garment of one who has given surety for a stranger; seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners. 17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet, but afterward the mouth will be full of gravel. 18 Plans are established by taking advice; wage war by following wise guidance. 19 A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a babbler. 20 If you curse father or mother, your lamp will go out in utter darkness. 21 An estate quickly acquired in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. 22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will help you. 23 Differing weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good. 24 All our steps are ordered by the LORD; how then can we understand our own ways? 25 It is a snare for one to say rashly, “It is holy,” and begin to reflect only after making a vow. 26 A wise king winnows the wicked, and drives the wheel over them. 27 The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD, searching every innermost part. 28 Loyalty and faithfulness preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by righteousness. 29 The glory of youths is their strength, but the beauty of the aged is their gray hair. 30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; beatings make clean the innermost parts. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® creates uplifting content and products for abundant life. Shop  our all natural bodycare, prayer & meditation cushions, and spiritual apparel! Create a free account  for access to our wealth of articles and videos on victorious living. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Wishing you abundant life, love, joy, peace, and prosperity.