Reading the Holy Scriptures and
the Church Fathers it is often that we find how relevant and timeless their
wisdom and words are. In many cases, we feel that these books and words were
written today, for us, answering our current problems and thoughts. Maybe it is
a further indication that wise words, inspired by God, have a certain power and
relevance for all faithful. This is also evident in the Old Testament Book of
Proverbs, where we find the wise sayings of Solomon (chapters 10-15), where we
read:
10 The proverbs of
Solomon
A wise son makes a
glad father,
But a foolish son is
the grief of his mother.
2 Treasures of
wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness
delivers from death.
3 The Lord will not
allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the
desire of the wicked.
4 He who has a slack
hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the
diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in
summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in
harvest is a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings are on
the head of the righteous,
But violence covers
the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the
righteous is blessed,
But the name of the
wicked will rot.
8 The wise in heart
will receive commands,
But a prating fool
will fall.
9 He who walks with
integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his
ways will become known.
10 He who winks with
the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool
will fall.
11 The mouth of the
righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers
the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up
strife,
But love covers all
sins.
13 Wisdom is found on
the lips of him who has understanding,
But a rod is for the
back of him who is devoid of understanding.
14 Wise people store
up knowledge,
But the mouth of the
foolish is near destruction.
15 The rich man’s
wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of
the poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the
righteous leads to life,
The wages of the
wicked to sin.
17 He who keeps
instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses
correction goes astray.
18 Whoever hides
hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads
slander is a fool.
19 In the multitude
of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains
his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the
righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the
wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the
righteous feed many,
But fools die for
lack of wisdom.[a]
22 The blessing of
the Lord makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow
with it.
23 To do evil is like
sport to a fool,
But a man of
understanding has wisdom.
24 The fear of the
wicked will come upon him,
And the desire of the
righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind
passes by, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has
an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the
teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to
those who send him.
27 The fear of the
Lord prolongs days,
But the years of the
wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the
righteous will be gladness,
But the expectation
of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the
Lord is strength for the upright,
But destruction will
come to the workers of iniquity.
30 The righteous will
never be removed,
But the wicked will
not inhabit the earth.
31 The mouth of the
righteous brings forth wisdom,
But the perverse
tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the
righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked
what is perverse.
11 Dishonest scales
are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is
His delight.
2 When pride comes,
then comes shame;
But with the humble
is wisdom.
3 The integrity of
the upright will guide them,
But the perversity of
the unfaithful will destroy them.
4 Riches do not
profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness
delivers from death.
5 The righteousness
of the blameless will direct[b] his way aright,
But the wicked will
fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness
of the upright will deliver them,
But the unfaithful
will be caught by their lust.
7 When a wicked man
dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the
unjust perishes.
8 The righteous is
delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the
wicked instead.
9 The hypocrite with
his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge
the righteous will be delivered.
10 When it goes well
with the righteous, the city rejoices;
And when the wicked
perish, there is jubilation.
11 By the blessing of
the upright the city is exalted,
But it is overthrown
by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He who is devoid
of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of
understanding holds his peace.
13 A talebearer
reveals secrets,
But he who is of a
faithful spirit conceals a matter.
14 Where there is no
counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude
of counselors there is safety.
15 He who is surety
for a stranger will suffer,
But one who hates
being surety is secure.
16 A gracious woman
retains honor,
But ruthless men
retain riches.
17 The merciful man
does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel
troubles his own flesh.
18 The wicked man
does deceptive work,
But he who sows
righteousness will have a sure reward.
19 As righteousness
leads to life,
So he who pursues
evil pursues it to his own death.
20 Those who are of a
perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in
their ways are His delight.
21 Though they join
forces,[c] the wicked will not go unpunished;
But the posterity of
the righteous will be delivered.
22 As a ring of gold
in a swine’s snout,
So is a lovely woman
who lacks discretion.
23 The desire of the
righteous is only good,
But the expectation
of the wicked is wrath.
24 There is one who
scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who
withholds more than is right,
But it leads to
poverty.
25 The generous soul
will be made rich,
And he who waters
will also be watered himself.
26 The people will
curse him who withholds grain,
But blessing will be
on the head of him who sells it.
27 He who earnestly
seeks good finds favor,
But trouble will come
to him who seeks evil.
28 He who trusts in
his riches will fall,
But the righteous
will flourish like foliage.
29 He who troubles
his own house will inherit the wind,
And the fool will be
servant to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of the
righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls
is wise.
31 If the righteous
will be recompensed on the earth,
How much more the
ungodly and the sinner.
12 Whoever loves
instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates
correction is stupid.
2 A good man obtains
favor from the Lord,
But a man of wicked
intentions He will condemn.
3 A man is not
established by wickedness,
But the root of the
righteous cannot be moved.
4 An excellent[d]
wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame
is like rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the
righteous are right,
But the counsels of
the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the
wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,”
But the mouth of the
upright will deliver them.
7 The wicked are overthrown
and are no more,
But the house of the
righteous will stand.
8 A man will be
commended according to his wisdom,
But he who is of a
perverse heart will be despised.
9 Better is the one
who is slighted but has a servant,
Than he who honors
himself but lacks bread.
10 A righteous man
regards the life of his animal,
But the tender
mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He who tills his
land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows
frivolity is devoid of understanding.[e]
12 The wicked covet
the catch of evil men,
But the root of the
righteous yields fruit.
13 The wicked is
ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous
will come through trouble.
14 A man will be
satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of
a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
15 The way of a fool
is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds
counsel is wise.
16 A fool’s wrath is
known at once,
But a prudent man
covers shame.
17 He who speaks
truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness,
deceit.
18 There is one who
speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the
wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip
shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is
but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the
heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of
peace have joy.
21 No grave trouble
will overtake the righteous,
But the wicked shall
be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an
abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal
truthfully are His delight.
23 A prudent man
conceals knowledge,
But the heart of
fools proclaims foolishness.
24 The hand of the
diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will
be put to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in the
heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes
it glad.
26 The righteous
should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the
wicked leads them astray.
27 The lazy man does
not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is
man’s precious possession.
28 In the way of
righteousness is life,
And in its pathway
there is no death.
13 A wise son heeds
his father’s instruction,
But a scoffer does
not listen to rebuke.
2 A man shall eat
well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the
unfaithful feeds on violence.
3 He who guards his
mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide
his lips shall have destruction.
4 The soul of a lazy
man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the
diligent shall be made rich.
5 A righteous man
hates lying,
But a wicked man is
loathsome and comes to shame.
6 Righteousness
guards him whose way is blameless,
But wickedness overthrows
the sinner.
7 There is one who
makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes
himself poor, yet has great riches.
8 The ransom of a
man’s life is his riches,
But the poor does not
hear rebuke.
9 The light of the
righteous rejoices,
But the lamp of the
wicked will be put out.
10 By pride comes
nothing but strife,
But with the
well-advised is wisdom.
11 Wealth gained by
dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by
labor will increase.
12 Hope deferred
makes the heart sick,
But when the desire
comes, it is a tree of life.
13 He who despises
the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the
commandment will be rewarded.
14 The law of the
wise is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from
the snares of death.
15 Good understanding
gains favor,
But the way of the
unfaithful is hard.
16 Every prudent man
acts with knowledge,
But a fool lays open
his folly.
17 A wicked messenger
falls into trouble,
But a faithful
ambassador brings health.
18 Poverty and shame
will come to him who disdains correction,
But he who regards a
rebuke will be honored.
19 A desire
accomplished is sweet to the soul,
But it is an
abomination to fools to depart from evil.
20 He who walks with
wise men will be wise,
But the companion of
fools will be destroyed.
21 Evil pursues
sinners,
But to the righteous,
good shall be repaid.
22 A good man leaves
an inheritance to his children’s children,
But the wealth of the
sinner is stored up for the righteous.
23 Much food is in
the fallow ground of the poor,
And for lack of justice
there is waste.[f]
24 He who spares his
rod hates his son,
But he who loves him
disciplines him promptly.
25 The righteous eats
to the satisfying of his soul,
But the stomach of
the wicked shall be in want.
14 The wise woman
builds her house,
But the foolish pulls
it down with her hands.
2 He who walks in his
uprightness fears the Lord,
But he who is
perverse in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of a
fool is a rod of pride,
But the lips of the
wise will preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are,
the trough is clean;
But much increase
comes by the strength of an ox.
5 A faithful witness
does not lie,
But a false witness
will utter lies.
6 A scoffer seeks
wisdom and does not find it,
But knowledge is easy
to him who understands.
7 Go from the
presence of a foolish man,
When you do not
perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the
prudent is to understand his way,
But the folly of
fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright
there is favor.
10 The heart knows
its own bitterness,
And a stranger does
not share its joy.
11 The house of the
wicked will be overthrown,
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 of death.
13 Even in laughter
the heart may sorrow,
And the end of mirth
may be grief.
14 The backslider in
heart will be filled with his own ways,
But a good man will
be satisfied from above.[g]
15 The simple
believes every word,
But the prudent
considers well his steps.
16 A wise man fears
and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and
is self-confident.
17 A quick-tempered
man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked
intentions is hated.
18 The simple inherit
folly,
But the prudent are
crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow
before the good,
And the wicked at the
gates of the righteous.
20 The poor man is
hated even by his own neighbor,
But the rich has many
friends.
21 He who despises
his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy
on the poor, happy is he.
22 Do they not go
astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth
belong to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there
is profit,
But idle chatter[h]
leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the
wise is their riches,
But the foolishness
of fools is folly.
25 A true witness
delivers souls,
But a deceitful
witness speaks lies.
26 In the fear of the
Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will
have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the
Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from
the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of
people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people
is the downfall of a prince.
29 He who is slow to
wrath has great understanding,
But he who is
impulsive[i] exalts folly.
30 A sound heart is
life to the body,
But envy is
rottenness to the bones.
31 He who oppresses
the poor reproaches his Maker,
But he who honors Him
has mercy on the needy.
32 The wicked is
banished in his wickedness,
But the righteous has
a refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in
the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the
heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness
exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach
to any people.
35 The king’s favor
is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is
against him who causes shame.
15 A soft answer
turns away wrath,
But a harsh word
stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the
wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of
fools pours forth foolishness.
3 The eyes of the
Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the
evil and the good.
4 A wholesome tongue
is a tree of life,
But perverseness in
it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool despises his
father’s instruction,
But he who receives
correction is prudent.
6 In the house of the
righteous there is much treasure,
But in the revenue of
the wicked is trouble.
7 The lips of the
wise disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the
fool does not do so.
8 The sacrifice of
the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the
upright is His delight.
9 The way of the
wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves him who
follows righteousness.
10 Harsh discipline
is for him who forsakes the way,
And he who hates
correction will die.
11 Hell[j] and
Destruction[k] are before the Lord;
So how much more the
hearts of the sons of men.
12 A scoffer does not
love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the
wise.
13 A merry heart
makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the
heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him
who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of
fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of
the afflicted are evil,
But he who is of a
merry heart has a continual feast.
16 Better is a little
with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure
with trouble.
17 Better is a dinner
of herbs[l] where love is,
Than a fatted calf
with hatred.
18 A wrathful man
stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to
anger allays contention.
19 The way of the
lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the way of the
upright is a highway.
20 A wise son makes a
father glad,
But a foolish man
despises his mother.
21 Folly is joy to
him who is destitute of discernment,
But a man of
understanding walks uprightly.
22 Without counsel,
plans go awry,
But in the multitude
of counselors they are established.
23 A man has joy by
the answer of his mouth,
And a word spoken in
due season, how good it is!
24 The way of life
winds upward for the wise,
That he may turn away
from hell[m] below.
25 The Lord will
destroy the house of the proud,
But He will establish
the boundary of the widow.
26 The thoughts of
the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
But the words of the
pure are pleasant.
27 He who is greedy
for gain troubles his own house,
But he who hates
bribes will live.
28 The heart of the
righteous studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the
wicked pours forth evil.
29 The Lord is far
from the wicked,
But He hears the
prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the
eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report
makes the bones healthy.[n]
31 The ear that hears
the rebukes of life
Will abide among the
wise.
32 He who disdains
instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds
rebuke gets understanding.
33 The fear of the
Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is
humility.
