Every Man's Bible - Proverbs - Flipbook - Page 30
Proverbs 21 | page 856
21
An inheritance obtained too early in life
is not a blessing in the end.
6
Wealth created by a lying tongue
is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.*
22
Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.”
Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.
7
23
The LORD detests double standards;
he is not pleased by dishonest scales.
The violence of the wicked sweeps them
away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8
The guilty walk a crooked path;
the innocent travel a straight road.
9
It’s better to live alone in the corner of
an attic
than with a quarrelsome wife in a
lovely home.
24
The LORD directs our steps,
so why try to understand everything
along the way?
25
Don’t trap yourself by making a rash
promise to God
and only later counting the cost.
26
A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat,
then runs his threshing wheel over
them.
10
Evil people desire evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11
If you punish a mocker, the
simpleminded become wise;
if you instruct the wise, they will be all
the wiser.
27
The LORD’s light penetrates the human
spirit,*
exposing every hidden motive.
12
28
Unfailing love and faithfulness protect
the king;
his throne is made secure through love.
The Righteous One* knows what is going
on in the homes of the wicked;
he will bring disaster on them.
13
29
The glory of the young is their strength;
the gray hair of experience is the
splendor of the old.
Those who shut their ears to the cries
of the poor
will be ignored in their own time
of need.
30
Physical punishment cleanses away evil;*
such discipline purifies the heart.
14
A secret gift calms anger;
a bribe under the table pacifies fury.
15
Justice is a joy to the godly,
but it terrifies evildoers.
21
1
The king’s heart is like a stream
of water directed by the LORD;
he guides it wherever he pleases.
16
2
People may be right in their own eyes,
but the LORD examines their heart.
The person who strays from common sense
will end up in the company of the dead.
17
3
The LORD is more pleased when we do
what is right and just
than when we offer him sacrifices.
Those who love pleasure become poor;
those who love wine and luxury will
never be rich.
18
4
Haughty eyes, a proud heart,
and evil actions are all sin.
The wicked are punished in place of the
godly,
and traitors in place of the honest.
5
Good planning and hard work lead
to prosperity,
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
19
It’s better to live alone in the desert
than with a quarrelsome, complaining
wife.
20:27 Or The human spirit is the LORD’s light. 20:30 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
version; Hebrew reads mist for those who seek death. 21:12 Or The righteous man.
21:6 As in Greek
20:22 Seeking revenge against a person who has hurt us will never satisfy our anger; it will only add
fuel to the fire. The cycle of retribution often lasts for a long time. Sometimes it continues for years after
both parties have forgotten the origin of the conflict. To overcome our anger, we need to start the process
of forgiveness right away. We may need to confront those who have offended us and seek resolution. If
reconciliation is not possible, then it is best to give the matter to God and his ultimate justice. Either way,
we need to put the matter behind us and move on with life.
20:25 Counting the cost involves seriously examining what the promise requires of us and then being
willing to fulfill the promise. If we don’t want to change but realize that we need to, we should ask God to
make us willing to change.
