I need to work on my quiet times on my weekends.
I let my family become an excuse for a lack of relationship with God on the weekends.
I was getting ready for school this morning and I got a message saying its a snow day.
Its nice to occasionally have these.
1 The Lord detests dishonest scales,
but accurate weights find favor with him.
Use honest scales. When you tell people what the ratios are – use those ratios.
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Humility leads to wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
Integrity guides me.
4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
Righteousness is greater than wealth. Both is better, but if you can’t choose both, choose righteousness. Righteousness means the ability to adhere to moral principles according to Princeton.
5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
Your ability to adhere to moral principles will make your paths straight and deliver you from evil.
7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them;
all the promise of their power comes to nothing.
Place your hopes in the immortal.
8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and it falls on the wicked instead.
Righteous people are rescued.
9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
but through knowledge the righteous escape.
Let your words be few. Speak of only the good things.
10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
When I read this I wonder why don’t the righteous prosper more?
12 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,
but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.
Deride means to mock. Let your words be few.
13 A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
Trustworthy people can keep secrets.
14 For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but victory is won through many advisers.
Victory is won through many advisers. I need to learn how to find more advisers for the nation of Hoo.
15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,
but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.
Refuse to put up security for a stranger.
16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.
Kindness gain honor. Ruthlessness only gains wealth. I think that explains rich men with nothing else.
17 Those who are kind benefit themselves,
but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.
Kindness benefits myself.
18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
Sowing righteousness reaps a sure reward.
19 Truly the righteous attain life,
but whoever pursues evil finds death.
Righteous attain life.
20 The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,
but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.
The Lord delights those whose ways are blameless. Blameless = innocent.
21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will go free.
The righteous will be free.
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
Beauty should show discretion. That’s biblical.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
The desire of the righteous ends only in good.
24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
25 A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Generous people will prosper, gain more, give freely, and refreshed.
26 People curse the one who hoards grain,
but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.
Sell your stuff of value.
27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,
but evil comes to one who searches for it.
Seek good and receive favor.
28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
Righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.
Fools will be servants to the wise. That explains… a lot in my life.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.
The righteous and wise provide fruits of life.
31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!
I’m not sure how to interpret this last verse. Google search: Even when the righteous make mistakes they will receive the consequences. The ungodly will also receive their consequences.
Practical action: Need to study up on righteousness and what the practicals for it are.
