My son, if you become surety for your friend, if have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, you are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth. So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; for you have come into the hand of a friend: Go and humble yourself. Plead with your friend. Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which have no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep--so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.
A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; He winks with his eyes. He shuffles his feet. He points with his finders. Perversity is in his heart. He devises evil continually. He sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
These are the six things the LORD hates; yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.
My son, keep your father's command and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you wake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the law a light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be seared? So is he who does after his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his himself when he is starving. Ye when he is found, he must restore sevenfold. He may have to give up all the substance of his house. Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband's fury; therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.
Are you clear on adultery now? God speaks yet again on the subject. Adultery will destroy you and those you love. We'll move on.
Laziness is addressed here in this chapter. God says learn from the ant. She has no one in charge of her, yet she works and works all summer to make sure she has enough when winter comes. Ants are of the tiniest insects, and yet this is what God says learn from. Ants are constantly moving and do their jobs. We should never be lazy. Give whatever your doing all your might...work, studying, relationships.
In this chapter, what speaks to me the loudest are the six things regarding what God hates, and the seventh one is an abomination to Him. We all know hate is a strong word, but abomination is even stronger. An abomination is the Bible's strongest expression of God's hatred toward evil and wickedness.
God hates pride, a liar, murder, one that plots evil, one that races after evil and a false witness. "One who sows discord", or a trouble maker in the family, is an abomination to God. This is what he hates most. I do, too. We are instructed to live in peace with our family and our neighbors. This is in total contrast to what we see in our world, huh?
Everybody is out for themselves. We live in a self-entitled world, which in essence is pride I suppose. If we are in the right mind, and by that I mean thinking like Jesus, we will live humbly and love others, putting their needs before our own. If we are not, it is not possible to live in peace. The opposite of peace is war, trouble, disharmony; that is what God hates.
Proverbs is pretty much straight to the point on all the instructions. It is not necessary to have a theological doctorate to understand God's way of living life and the guidelines that are set out for those that love Him.
Peace out!
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