PROVERBS DAILY

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 14 The Message A Way That Leads to Hell 14 Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick. 2 An honest life shows respect for God; a degenerate life is a slap in his face. 3 Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile; wise speech evokes nothing but respect. 4 No cattle, no crops; a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow. 5 A true witness never lies; a false witness makes a business of it. 6 Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep! 7 Escape quickly from the company of fools; they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words. 8 The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch. 9 The stupid ridicule right and wrong, but a moral life is a favored life. 10 The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends will be an outsider at their celebrations. 11 Lives of careless wrongdoing are run-down shacks; holy living builds soaring cathedrals. 12-13 There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak. Sift and Weigh Every Word 14 A mean person gets paid back in meanness, a gracious person in grace. 15 The gullible believe anything they’re told; the prudent sift and weigh every word. 16 The wise watch their steps and avoid evil; fools are headstrong and reckless. 17 The hotheaded do things they’ll later regret; the coldhearted get the cold shoulder. 18 Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion; wise realists plant their feet on the ground. 19 Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good; the wicked will respect God-loyal people. 20 An unlucky loser is shunned by all, but everyone loves a winner. 21 It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor—what a blessing! 22 Isn’t it obvious that conspirators lose out, while the thoughtful win love and trust? 23 Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table. 24 The wise accumulate wisdom; fools get stupider by the day. 25 Souls are saved by truthful witness and betrayed by the spread of lies. 26 The Fear-of-God builds up confidence, and makes a world safe for your children. 27 The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water so you won’t go off drinking from poisoned wells. 28 The mark of a good leader is loyal followers; leadership is nothing without a following. 29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity. 30 A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones. 31 You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless; when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God. 32 The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold; the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living. 33 Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart— fools never even get to say hello. 34 God-devotion makes a country strong; God-avoidance leaves people weak. 35 Diligent work gets a warm commendation; shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 13 The Message Walk with the Wise 13 Intelligent children listen to their parents; foolish children do their own thing. 2 The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation; bullies push and shove their way through life. 3 Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything. 4 Indolence wants it all and gets nothing; the energetic have something to show for their lives. 5 A good person hates false talk; a bad person wallows in gibberish. 6 A God-loyal life keeps you on track; sin dumps the wicked in the ditch. 7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life. 8 The rich can be sued for everything they have, but the poor are free of such threats. 9 The lives of good people are brightly lit streets; the lives of the wicked are dark alleys. 10 Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel. 11 Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off. 12 Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around. 13 Ignore the Word and suffer; honor God’s commands and grow rich. 14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells! 15 Sound thinking makes for gracious living, but liars walk a rough road. 16 A commonsense person lives good sense; fools litter the country with silliness. 17 Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things, but a reliable reporter is a healing presence. 18 Refuse discipline and end up homeless; embrace correction and live an honored life. 19 Souls who follow their hearts thrive; fools bent on evil despise matters of soul. 20 Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces. 21 Disaster entraps sinners, but God-loyal people get a good life. 22 A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren; ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people. 23 Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor, or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers. 24 A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them. 25 An appetite for good brings much satisfaction, but the belly of the wicked always wants more.

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 12 The Message If You Love Learning 12 If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it— how shortsighted to refuse correction! 2 A good person basks in the delight of God, and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers. 3 You can’t find firm footing in a swamp, but life rooted in God stands firm. 4 A hearty wife invigorates her husband, but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones. 5 The thinking of principled people makes for justice; the plots of degenerates corrupt. 6 The words of the wicked kill; the speech of the upright saves. 7 Wicked people fall to pieces—there’s nothing to them; the homes of good people hold together. 8 A person who talks sense is honored; airheads are held in contempt. 9 Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process. 10 Good people are good to their animals; the “good-hearted” bad people kick and abuse them. 11 The one who stays on the job has food on the table; the witless chase whims and fancies. 12 What the wicked construct finally falls into ruin, while the roots of the righteous give life, and more life. Wise People Take Advice 13 The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble; the conversation of good people keeps them out of it. 14 Well-spoken words bring satisfaction; well-done work has its own reward. 15 Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice. 16 Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly; the prudent quietly shrug off insults. 17 Truthful witness by a good person clears the air, but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit. 18 Rash language cuts and maims, but there is healing in the words of the wise. 19 Truth lasts; lies are here today, gone tomorrow. 20 Evil scheming distorts the schemer; peace-planning brings joy to the planner. 21 No evil can overwhelm a good person, but the wicked have their hands full of it. 22 God can’t stomach liars; he loves the company of those who keep their word. 23 Prudent people don’t flaunt their knowledge; talkative fools broadcast their silliness. 24 The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work. 25 Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up. 26 A good person survives misfortune, but a wicked life invites disaster. 27 A lazy life is an empty life, but “early to rise” gets the job done. 28 Good men and women travel right into life; sin’s detours take you straight to h

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 11 The Message Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way 11 God hates cheating in the marketplace; he loves it when business is aboveboard. 2 The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm. 3 The integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin. 4 A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst. 5 Moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life. 6 Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust. 7 When the wicked die, that’s it— the story’s over, end of hope. 8 A good person is saved from much trouble; a bad person runs straight into it. 9 The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction; the common sense of the godly preserves them. 10 When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers; when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates. 11 When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes; evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time. 12 Mean-spirited slander is heartless; quiet discretion accompanies good sense. 13 A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence. 14 Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances. 15 Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned; if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains. 16 A woman of gentle grace gets respect, but men of rough violence grab for loot. A God-Shaped Life 17 When you’re kind to others, you help yourself; when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself. 18 Bad work gets paid with a bad check; good work gets solid pay. 19 Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live, or chase after phantoms of evil and die. 20 God can’t stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity. 21 Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free, and God’s loyal people will triumph. 22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful face on an empty head. 23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best, but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration. 24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. 25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. 26 Curses on those who drive a hard bargain! Blessings on all who play fair and square! 27 The one who seeks good finds delight; the student of evil becomes evil. 28 A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree. 29 Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air; common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live. 30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls. 31 If good people barely make it, what’s in store for the bad!

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 10 The Message The Wise Sayings of Solomon An Honest Life Is Immortal 10 Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother. 2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal. 3 God won’t starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked. 4 Sloth makes you poor; diligence brings wealth. 5 Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart; go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid. 6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse. 7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial; a wicked life leaves a rotten stench. 8 A wise heart takes orders; an empty head will come unglued. 9 Honesty lives confident and carefree, but Shifty is sure to be exposed. 10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead, but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace. 11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse. 12 Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering. 13 You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight, but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face. 14 The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure; know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste. The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life 15 The wealth of the rich is their security; the poverty of the indigent is their ruin. 16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life; an evil person ends up with nothing but sin. 17 The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you’re lost for good. 18 Liars secretly hoard hatred; fools openly spread slander. 19 The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. 20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless. 21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. Fear-of-God Expands Your Life 22 God’s blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God. 23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun, but a mindful person relishes wisdom. 24 The nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get. 25 When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked; good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed. 26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes. 27 The Fear-of-God expands your life; a wicked life is a puny life. 28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash. 29 God is solid backing to a well-lived life, but he calls into question a shabby performance. 30 Good people last—they can’t be moved; the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow. 31 A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp. 32 The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 9 The Message Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party 9 1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home; it’s supported by seven hewn timbers. The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted, wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers. Having dismissed her serving maids, Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice: “Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning.” * * * 7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that’s different—they’ll love you for it! Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it. Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God, insight into life from knowing a Holy God. It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens, and the years of your life ripen. Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life; mock life and life will mock you. Madame Prostitute Calls Out, Too 13-18 Then there’s this other woman, Madame Prostitute— brazen, empty-headed, frivolous. She sits on the front porch of her house on Main Street, And as people walk by minding their own business, calls out, “Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on? Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time! No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.” But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet, that all her guests end up in hell.

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 8 The Message Lady Wisdom Calls Out 8 1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling? Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice? She’s taken her stand at First and Main, at the busiest intersection. Right in the city square where the traffic is thickest, she shouts, “You—I’m talking to all of you, everyone out here on the streets! Listen, you idiots—learn good sense! You blockheads—shape up! Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well, I’m telling you how to live at your best. My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth— I can’t stand the taste of evil! You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth; not one syllable will be twisted or skewed. You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds; truth-ready minds will see it at once. Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career. For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. 12-21 “I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity; Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street. The Fear-of-God means hating Evil, whose ways I hate with a passion— pride and arrogance and crooked talk. Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics; I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out. With my help, leaders rule, and lawmakers legislate fairly; With my help, governors govern, along with all in legitimate authority. I love those who love me; those who look for me find me. Wealth and Glory accompany me— also substantial Honor and a Good Name. My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary; the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus. You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk— at the intersection of Justice Avenue, Handing out life to those who love me, filling their arms with life—armloads of life! 22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic— before he did anything else. I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start. I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes. Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn; Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, And set Sky firmly in place, I was there. When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said no trespassing, And then staked out Earth’s Foundations, I was right there with him, making sure everything fit. Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company, Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family. 32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully; those who embrace these my ways are most blessed. Mark a life of discipline and live wisely; don’t squander your precious life. Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me, awake and ready for me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day’s work. When you find me, you find life, real life, to say nothing of God’s good pleasure. But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul; when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 7 The Message Dressed to Seduce 7 1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. Do what I say and you’ll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it! Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion. They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress— that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress. 6-12 As I stood at the window of my house looking out through the shutters, Watching the mindless crowd stroll by, I spotted a young man without any sense Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived, then turning up the path to her house. It was dusk, the evening coming on, the darkness thickening into night. Just then, a woman met him— she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him. Brazen and brash she was, restless and roaming, never at home, Walking the streets, loitering in the mall, hanging out at every corner in town. 13-20 She threw her arms around him and kissed him, boldly took his arm and said, “I’ve got all the makings for a feast— today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid, So now I’ve come to find you, hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are! I’ve spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed, colorful imported linens. My bed is aromatic with spices and exotic fragrances. Come, let’s make love all night, spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking! My husband’s not home; he’s away on business, and he won’t be back for a month.” 21-23 Soon she has him eating out of her hand, bewitched by her honeyed speech. Before you know it, he’s trotting behind her, like a calf led to the butcher shop, Like a stag lured into ambush and then shot with an arrow, Like a bird flying into a net not knowing that its flying life is over. 24-27 So, friends, listen to me, take these words of mine most seriously. Don’t fool around with a woman like that; don’t even stroll through her neighborhood. Countless victims come under her spell; she’s the death of many a poor man. She runs a halfway house to hell, fits you out with a shroud and a coffin.

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 5 The Message Nothing but Sin and Bones 5 1-2 Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom; listen very closely to the way I see it. Then you’ll acquire a taste for good sense; what I tell you will keep you out of trouble. 3-6 The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet, her soft words are oh so smooth. But it won’t be long before she’s gravel in your mouth, a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart. She’s dancing down the perfumed path to Death; she’s headed straight for Hell and taking you with her. She hasn’t a clue about Real Life, about who she is or where she’s going. 7-14 So, my friend, listen closely; don’t treat my words casually. Keep your distance from such a woman; absolutely stay out of her neighborhood. You don’t want to squander your wonderful life, to waste your precious life among the hardhearted. Why should you allow strangers to take advantage of you? Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you? You don’t want to end your life full of regrets, nothing but sin and bones, Saying, “Oh, why didn’t I do what they told me? Why did I reject a disciplined life? Why didn’t I listen to my mentors, or take my teachers seriously? My life is ruined! I haven’t one blessed thing to show for my life!” Never Take Love for Granted 15-16 Do you know the saying, “Drink from your own rain barrel, draw water from your own spring-fed well”? It’s true. Otherwise, you may one day come home and find your barrel empty and your well polluted. 17-20 Your spring water is for you and you only, not to be passed around among strangers. Bless your fresh-flowing fountain! Enjoy the wife you married as a young man! Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose— don’t ever quit taking delight in her body. Never take her love for granted! Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a prostitute? for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger? 21-23 Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make; he’s aware of every step you take. The shadow of your sin will overtake you; you’ll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark. Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.

The #message translation - #narrative #reading of #scripture. TEXT Proverbs 4 The Message Your Life Is at Stake 4 1-2 Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice; sit up and take notice so you’ll know how to live. I’m giving you good counsel; don’t let it go in one ear and out the other. 3-9 When I was a boy at my father’s knee, the pride and joy of my mother, He would sit me down and drill me: “Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it; never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious. She’ll garland your life with grace, she’ll festoon your days with beauty.” 10-15 Dear friend, take my advice; it will add years to your life. I’m writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way, I’m drawing a map to Righteous Road. I don’t want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns. Hold tight to good advice; don’t relax your grip. Guard it well—your life is at stake! Don’t take Wicked Bypass; don’t so much as set foot on that road. Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth. Make a detour and be on your way. 16-17 Evil people are restless unless they’re making trouble; They can’t get a good night’s sleep unless they’ve made life miserable for somebody. Perversity is their food and drink, violence their drug of choice. 18-19 The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker— travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces. Learn It by Heart 20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they’re bursting with health. 23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.