Every Man's Bible - Proverbs - Flipbook - Page 36
Proverbs 25 | page 862
18
+ + + Men, Women, & God
For the LORD will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
Don’t fret because of evildoers;
don’t envy the wicked.
20 For evil people have no future;
the light of the wicked will be snuffed
out.
19
Finding the
Right Wife
Proverbs 11:22; 21:19; 25:24
HOW DOES A MAN KNOW which woman might
make the ideal partner? Solomon had wisdom
to spare on this important topic. And even
though he wrote his proverbs thousands of
years ago, his advice is relevant today.
In Proverbs 11:22 he says, “A beautiful
woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring
in a pig’s snout.” The language is harsh, but the
lesson is important. Physical beauty is wonderful, but outward appearances are often a poor
guide to what a person is like on the inside.
In this case, a lack of discretion (a term that
can also be translated as “prudence,” “good
judgment,” “practicality,” or “decorum”) makes
a woman who is merely outwardly attractive
seem piggish.
In 21:19, Solomon talks about a “quarrelsome” and “complaining” wife. Psychiatry hasn’t
been able to tell us why some people are optimists while others are pessimists, but everyone
can agree that life is happier when a partner
is able to see the positive side of things rather
than always focusing on the negative.
Proverbs 25:24, which combines aspects of
the previous two proverbs, says: “It’s better to
live alone in the corner of an attic than with a
quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.” In this case,
an argumentative wife, even when offset by a
beautiful house, makes life so miserable that it
would be better to live alone.
Solomon isn’t saying that men should divorce
wives who have these characteristics. Instead,
he is warning those who aren’t yet married to
think about long-term compatibility. When you
live with the same woman for decades—which
is what newly married people commit to—
superficial attractions may prove insufficient in
the long run.
My child, fear the LORD and the king.
Don’t associate with rebels,
22
for disaster will hit them suddenly.
Who knows what punishment will come
from the LORD and the king?
21
More Sayings of the Wise
23
Here are some further sayings of the wise:
It is wrong to show favoritism when
passing judgment.
24 A judge who says to the wicked, “You are
innocent,”
will be cursed by many people and
denounced by the nations.
25 But it will go well for those who convict
the guilty;
rich blessings will be showered on them.
26
An honest answer
is like a kiss of friendship.
27
Do your planning and prepare your fields
before building your house.
28
Don’t testify against your neighbors
without cause;
don’t lie about them.
And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back
for what they’ve done to me!
I’ll get even with them!”
29
30
31
32
33
34
I walked by the field of a lazy person,
the vineyard of one with no common
sense.
I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.
It was covered with weeds,
and its walls were broken down.
Then, as I looked and thought about it,
I learned this lesson:
A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
then poverty will pounce on you like
a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed
robber.
25
More Proverbs of Solomon
These are more proverbs of Solomon,
collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah.
2
It is God’s privilege to conceal things
and the king’s privilege to discover them.
