Second Part: the Proverbs of Solomon
1 A wise son is his father’s joy, a foolish one his mother’s heartbreak.
2 Treasures wrongfully acquired are of no value but upright living saves from death.
3 Yahweh does not let the righteous go hungry but he denies satisfaction to the evil doers.
4 The lazy hand brings poverty; the diligent hand brings wealth.
5 The prudent man reaps in summer; the one who sleeps at harvest time deserves scorn.
6 Blessings on the head of the upright man! Violence silences the cry of the wicked.
7 The righteous will be remembered with blessings, the name of the wicked will rot away.
8 The wise of heart is open to instruction, the chattering fool speeds towards ruin.
9 Whoever behaves honorably will walk safely, but the follower of crooked ways will be punished.
10 The wink of an eye brings trouble; but a rebuke wins peace.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a source of life, but violence is concealed in the mouths of evildoers.
12 Hatred enkindles disputes, love covers over all offenses.
13 Wisdom is to be found on the lips of the discerning man; the stick is for the fool’s back.
14 The wise store up learning but the mouth of the fool makes way for ruin.
15 The rich man’s fortune is his fortress, the poverty of the poor is their undoing.
16 The virtuous man’s toil brings him life, while the sins of the evil man destroy him.
17 Respect for discipline is the path of life; he who ignores correction is doomed.
18 Hypocritical is he who tolerates hatred; he who slanders
19 Sin will not be lacking where too many words are spoken; the prudent man controls his tongue.
20 The upright man’s tongue is pure silver, but the hearts of evildoers have little value.
21 The lips of one righteous feed many people while fools die for lack of sense.
22 The blessing of Yahweh brings riches, no effort can replace it.
23 The fool delights in doing evil and the wise man in acquiring wisdom.
24 The evildoer will encounter the evil he dreaded whereas the upright man will receive what he looked forward to.
25 After the storm the wicked man is seen no more, but the upright man remains forever.
26 The lazy man is like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes of his master.
27 Fear of Yahweh lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short.
28 The hope of the upright ends in happiness but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
29 The ways of Yahweh are a fortress for the upright but for evildoers only ruin.
30 The righteous will never be disturbed but evildoers will not survive on the land.
31 Wisdom springs forth from the mouth of the virtuous but the corrupt tongue will be torn out. 32 Goodness dwells on the lips of the upright, corruption in the mouth of the wicked.
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Comments Proverbs, Chapter 10
• 10.1 Here is the oldest part of the Book of Pro verbs. It is a collection of proverbs and sayings attributed to King Solomon (chaps. 11–22). Then will follow proverbs from other sources. See 22:17; 24:23; 25:1; 30:1 and 31:1.
Here, more than elsewhere, it is fitting to recall that the words of the Bible are at one and the same time the word of God and human words. As word of God, they contain a teaching that always has value. There are also human words, words of wisdom gathered by an ancient people through experience in a culture different from our own. We cannot expect Christian intuition that comes much later in the plan of God. He is a good educator and it has taken him centuries to give his people wisdom.
These proverbs point to qualities suitable for responsible persons:
– farsighted, self-assured, capable of persevering in their behavior and not lazy;
– being prudent and not trusting anyone (see 12:23; 14:6; 14:15; 25:17);
– being just and able to forgive (28:2; 31:8; 21:26; 25:21);
– being in control of one’s tongue (13:3);
being able to correct one’s children (13:1).