Wisdom builds, Folly destroys

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, in the archives, where I introduce myself and the blog.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Devotions: Proverbs 14

Wisdom builds her abode; Folly tears hers down. Those who walk uprightly show respect for God; the devious despise Him. A fool’s talk brings punishment; wise words preserves their speaker. No work, no harvest; abundant fruit follows from hard work. Faithful witnesses tell the truth; false witnesses breathe out lies. Scoffers fail to find wisdom, but people of knowledge gain it with ease. Walk away from fools; there is no knowledge there. Wisdom discerns a proper path; fools are deceived and misled. God scorns the wicked; the upright enjoy His favor. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. A wicked house will be destroyed; the tents of the upright will flourish. There are pathways that look right from a human viewpoint, but end, finally, in death. The end of every human joy is grief, and the heart is sad even amid laughter. We reap what we sow, whether we are perverse or upright. Fools believe anything; the prudent consider where they are going. A wise man, cautious, turns from evil; a fool, impetuous, leaps into the darkness. Quick temper creates foolish actions; a man of discretion is patient. Fools get folly; the prudent acquire knowledge. Evil must bow to good, wickedness to righteousness. The poor are widely disliked; the rich have many friends. Yet whoever despises his neighbor sins, and those who are kind to the poor find happiness. They err who devise evil; they meet loyalty and faithfulness who devise good. Work profits; mere talk impoverishes. Wisdom crowns the wise; fools receive only folly. Truth-tellers save lives; liars betray life. Fear of God upholds confidence and makes one’s children safe; it is a fountain of life, avoiding death’s snares. Princes need their people! One slow to anger has great understanding; the quick-tempered exalt folly. A tranquil mind brings life; passion rots the bones. Oppress the poor and you insult God; show kindness to the needy, and you exalt our Maker. Evil-doing overthrows the wicked; integrity provides refuge for the righteous. Wisdom abides with a man of understanding, but is a stranger to the fool. Righteousness exalts a nation; sin is their reproach. A wise servant earns the sovereign’s favor; the king’s wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.