Bible Study 2018 – Week 23 Learnings

When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live;

“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.

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

Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on.”

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held with the cords of his sin. He will die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.”

Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.

Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.

There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life”

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend; That they may keep you from an adulteress, From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

In the twilight, in the evening, In the middle of the night and in the darkness. And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.

So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him: “I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows. “Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.

“Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses. “For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey;

With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him. Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool, Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life. Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths. For many are the victims she has cast down, And numerous are all her slain.”

“Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

“All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

“For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

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

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

“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. “Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.”

“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks understanding she says, “Come, eat of my food And drink of the wine I have mixed.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it. The woman of folly is boisterous, She is naive and knows nothing.

Calling to those who pass by, Who are making their paths straight: “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,” And to him who lacks understanding she says,

But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.”

Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.

The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But ruin to the workers of iniquity.”

The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed. When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes. The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place.

The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm.

Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls. If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the sinner!”

The thoughts of the righteous are just, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.”

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

A righteous man hates falsehood, But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, But wickedness subverts the sinner.

Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool displays folly. A wicked messenger falls into adversity, But a faithful envoy brings healing.

Adversity pursues sinners, But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of the wicked is in need.”

The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied with his. The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps.

In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.

The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing, But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.”

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness.

A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. Evil plans are an abomination to the LORD, But pleasant words are pure. He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live.

The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.”

When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness.

The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.”

Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince. A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers. He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.

A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

He who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

He who has a crooked mind finds no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.

Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”

To show partiality to the wicked is not good, Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.

With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape. Many will seek the favor of a generous man, And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.

A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die.

A man of great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand. What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.”

A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out.

A righteous man who walks in his integrity- How blessed are his sons after him. A king who sits on the throne of justice Disperses all evil with his eyes.

The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made both of them.

There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.

Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

He who curses his father or his mother, His lamp will go out in time of darkness. An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end. Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

Loyalty and truth preserve the king, And he upholds his throne by righteousness. The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair.”

The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.

The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous is in the place of the upright.

He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor.

He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.

There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD.”

The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.

The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.

He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate; For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them.”

Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad; And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right. Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.

Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.”

A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power. For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.”