The Path Of Life

Words of Solomon ..

How much better to get wisdom than gold,
To choose understanding rather than silver.

A man of understanding keeps a straight course.

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
Turning a man from the snares of death.

A patient man has great understanding.

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning
And even among fools she lets herself be known.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge.

A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back,
But the lips of the wise protect them.

A patient man calms a quarrel.

He who scorns instruction will pay for it,
But he who respects a command is rewarded.

The path of life leads upward for the wise.

Your own soul is nourished when you are kind,
It is destroyed when you are cruel.

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint.

Train up a child in the way that he should go
And when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it.

Who is the wise man?
He who sees what’s going to be born.

Lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

The path of the upright is a highway.

Whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

The house of the righteous contains great treasure,
But the income of the wicked brings them trouble.

Blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
The cheerful heart has a continual feast.

A fool is wise in his eyes.

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
He too will cry out and not be answered.

Give me the gift of a listening heart.

As water reflects a face,
So a man’s heart reflects the man.

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing,
But the name of the wicked will not.

Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent.

A poor man pleads for mercy,
But a rich man answers harshly.

Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken beyond repair.

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
But he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

The righteous man walks in his integrity,
His children are blessed after him.

The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

No harm befalls the righteous,
But the wicked have their fill of trouble.

The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.

The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways
And the good man rewarded for his.

The poor are shunned even by their neighbours,
But the rich have many friends.

Whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

A fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

The prospect of the righteous is joy,
But the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

The righteous will never be uprooted,
But the wicked will not remain in the land.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
But with humility comes wisdom.

Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.

When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes;
All he expected from his power comes to nothing.

The righteous man is rescued from trouble
And it comes on the wicked instead.

A gossip betrays a confidence,
But a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

A kind-hearted woman gains respect,
But ruthless men gain only wealth.

A kind man benefits himself,
But a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

The truly righteous man attains life,
But he who pursues evil goes to his death.

Be sure of this, the wicked will not go unpunished,
But those who are righteous will go free.

A generous man will prosper;
He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

A man cannot be established through wickedness,
But the righteous cannot be uprooted.

From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things,
As surely as the work of his hands rewards him.

The way of a fool seems right to him,
But a wise man listens to advice.

Reckless words pierce like a sword,
But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
But the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

One man gives freely, yet gains even more.
Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life
And he who wins souls is wise.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.

The plans of the righteous are just,
But the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.

An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends,
He defies all sound judgment.

A fool finds no peasure in understanding,
But delights in airing his own opinions.

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters,
But the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

A fool’s mouth is his undoing
And his lips are a snare to his soul.

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,
They imagine it an unscalable wall.

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
The ears of the wise seek it out.

From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled,
With the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.

The tongue has the power of life and death
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

The righteous care about justice for the poor,
But the wicked have no such concern.

Listen to advice and accept instruction
And in the end you will be wise.

Solomon, son of King David, c.990 BCE – c.931 BCE