PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 30)

1. The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:

2 . Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.

3. I neither learned wisdom
Nor have knowledge of the Holy One.

4. Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name,
If you know?

5. Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

6. Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

7. Two things I request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):

8. Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches—
Feed me with the food allotted to me;

9. Lest I be full and deny You,
And say, “Who is the LORD?”
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

10. Do not malign a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.

11. There is a generation that curses its father,
And does not bless its mother.

12. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.

13. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.

14. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
And whose fangs are like knives,
To devour the poor from off the earth,
And the needy from among men.

15. The leech has two daughters—
Give and Give!

There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four never say, “Enough!”:

16. The grave,
The barren womb,
The earth that is not satisfied with water—
And the fire never says, “Enough!”

17. The eye that
mocks his father,
And scorns obedience to his mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young eagles will eat it.

18. There are three things which. are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I do not understand:

19. The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.

20. This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wickedness.”

21. For three things the earth is perturbed,
Yes, for four it cannot bear up:

22. For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,

23. A hateful woman
when she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.

24. There are four things which are little on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:

25. The ants are a people not strong,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;

26. The rock badgers are a feeble folk, Yet they
make their homes in the crags;

27. The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;

28. The spider
skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings’ palaces.

29. There are three things which are majestic in pace,
Yes, four which are stately in walk:

30. A lion, which is mighty among beasts
And does not turn away from any;

31 A greyhound,
A male goat also,
And a king whose troops
are with him.

32. If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
Or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth.

33. For as the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood,So the
forcing of wrath produces strife.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(PROVERBS 31)

1. The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

2. What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?

3. Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;

5. Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

6. Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.

7. Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

8. Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.

9. Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

10. Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.

11. The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.

12. She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

13. She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.

14. She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.

15. She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

16. She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.

17. She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.

18. She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.

19. She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.

20. She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

21. She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

22. She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23. Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

24. She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.

25. Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.

26. She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

27. She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

28. Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:

29“Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”

30. Charm is
deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who
fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

31. Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 1)

1. The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

2. To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,

3. To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;

4. To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—

5. A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,

6. To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

7. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8. My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;

9. For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

10. My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.

11. If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

12. Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;

13. We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;

14. Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—

15. My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;

16. For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.

17. Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;

18. But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.

19. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

20. Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.

21. She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:

22. “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.

23. Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.

24. Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,

25. Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,

26. I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,

27. When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

28. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

29. Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD,

30. They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.

31. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

32. For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33. But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 2)

1. My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,

2. So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;

3. Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,

4. If you seek her as silver,
And search for her 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 uprightly;

8. He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.

9. Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.

10. When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

11. Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,

12. To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,

13. From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;

14. Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

15. Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;

16. To deliver you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words,

17. Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.

18. For her house leads down to death,
And her paths to the dead;

19. None who go to her return,
Nor do they regain the paths of life—

20. So you may walk in the way of goodness,
And keep to the paths of righteousness.

21. For the upright will dwell in the land,
And the blameless will remain in it;

22. But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 3)

1. My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;

2. For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.

3. Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,

4. And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

5. Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;

6. In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7. Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

8. It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.

9. Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

10. So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

11. My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor detest His correction;

12. For whom the LORD loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

13. Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;

14. For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.

15. She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

16. Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.

17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.

18. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.

19. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;

20. By His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.

21. My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;

22. So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.

23. Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.

24. When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

25. Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

26. For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

27. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

28. Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.

29. Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.

30. Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

31. Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;

32. For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD,
But His secret counsel is with the upright.

33. The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.

34. Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.

35. The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 6)

1. My son, if you become surety for your friend,
If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

2. You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of your mouth.

3. So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand of your friend:
Go and humble yourself;
Plead with your friend.

4. Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids.

5. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6. Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,

7. Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,

8. Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.

9. How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?

10. A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—

11. So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

12. A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;

13. He winks with his eyes,
He shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;

14. Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.

15. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly;
Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.

16. These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

17. A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,

18. A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,

19. A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.

20. My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.

21. Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.

22. When you roam, they will lead you;
When you sleep, they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.

23. For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

24. To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.

25. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.

26. For by means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.

27. Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?

28. Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?

29. So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.

30. People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.

31. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.

32. Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.

33. Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.

34. For jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35. He will accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 4)

1. Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;

2. For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.

3. When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,

4. He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.

5. Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

6. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.

7. Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.

8. Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.

9. She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

10. Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.

11. I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.

12. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.

13. Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

14. Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.

15. Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.

16. For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.

17. For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

18. But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines
ever brighter unto the perfect day.

19. The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

20. My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.

21. Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;

22. For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.

23. Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

24. Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.

25. Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.

26. Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.

27. Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 5)

1. My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,

2. That you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.

3. For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;

4. But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

5. Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell.

6. Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.

7. Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.

8. Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,

9. Lest you give your honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;

10. Lest aliens be filled with your wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;

11. And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,

12. And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!

13. I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!

14. I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

15. Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.

16. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?

17. Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.

18. Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.

19. As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.

20. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?

21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD,
And He ponders all his paths.

22. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.

23. He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 7)

1. My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.

2. Keep my commands and live,
And my law as the apple of your eye.

3. Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

4. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,

5. That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.

6. For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,

7. And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the youths,
A young man devoid of understanding,

8. Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house

9. In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.

10. And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.

11. She was loud and rebellious,
Her feet would not stay at home.

12. At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.

13. So she caught him and kissed him;
With an impudent face she said to him:

14. “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.

15. So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.

16. I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of Egyptian linen.

17. I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18. Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.

19. For my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;

20. He has taken a bag of money with him,
And will come home on the appointed day.”

21. With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she seduced him.

22. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,

23. Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost his life.

24. Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:

25. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;

26. For she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.

27. Her house is the way to hell,
Descending to the chambers of death

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 8 )

1. Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?

2. She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,

Beside the way, where the paths meet.

3. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:

4. “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.

5. O you simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.

6. Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;

7. For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8. All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

9. They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.

10. Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;

11. For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

12. “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.

13. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.

14. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.

15. By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.

16. By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of the earth.

17. I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.

18. Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.

19. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.

20. I traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,

21. That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

22. “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.

23. I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

24. When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.

25. Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;

26. While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.

27. When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28. When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

29. When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,

30. Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,

31. Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men.

32. “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.

33. Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.

34. Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.

35. For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the LORD;

36. But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”