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Expanded Comments |
1 Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down. |
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2 Whoso is walking in his uprightness is fearing Jehovah, And the perverted [in] his ways is despising Him. |
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3 In the mouth of a fool [is] a rod of pride, And the lips of the wise preserve them. |
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4 Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox. |
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5 A faithful witness lieth not, And a false witness breatheth out lies. |
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6 A scorner hath sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge to the intelligent [is] easy. |
Findeth it not – "God resisteth the proud" (Jas. 4:6); does not reveal his plan to such. R3337:2
Easy unto him – In coming to God's Word it is always important to remember that our attitude should be that of the disciple and not of the teacher. R3337:1
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7 Go from before a foolish man, Or thou hast not known the lips of knowledge. |
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8 The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit. |
Fools – Teachers of Evolution. OV86:3
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9 Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright a pleasing thing. |
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10 The heart knoweth its own bitterness, And with its joy a stranger doth not intermeddle. |
Knoweth his own – Nephesh, soul, sentient being. E334
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11 The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourisheth. |
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12 There is a way right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death. |
There is a way – "The broad way that leadeth to destruction." (Matt. 7:13, 14) CR496:4.
The way of selfishness, the way of the world. SM162:2, SM156:1
Human judgment would be unreliable even if supported by absolute knowledge. R3241:1
The way of selfishness, which has prevailed for 6,000 years; the natural way, approved by the standards of the world for centuries. SM162:2
Trusting to an outward form of godliness, being religious as a mark of respectability, attending the house of God because it is fashionable. R5849:5*
The gospel of Satan, tacitly acknowledging the great doctrines of Christianity, but with erroneous interpretation and application. R5849:1*
The Jews, although they thought they had found way to life in the Law, found it to be a way to death. CR500:5
Which seemeth right – Because all of Adam's children have been "born in sin and shapen in iniquity." (Psa. 51:5) CR496:2
Reasoning, "Life is to be enjoyed" and it is their duty to enjoy it. CR500:6
The ways of the world are those which they think right. CR496:1; CR500:1
The world has been trying, and trying hard, to see what they can do in the way of bringing in a good government. CR502:2
Difficult to discern, because long-cultivated sentiments sway our judgment. R1656:4
Presented in such plausible language that it appeals to the emotions; and in such a subtle manner that it commends itself to the intelligence. R5849:1*
If the heart be wrong the head will seek to justify it, and in so doing will pervert judgment and truth. R2038:2
We do not know how to do our own thinking. We must do what the Lord tells us to do through his Word. CR496:5
Unto a man – Because blinded by his own perverse will or fleshly mind. R2038:2
The end thereof – Where the subject of delusion is of vital interest. R2274:3
Many, for a time beguiled into an error of doctrine or practice, may yet be recovered from the snare of the Adversary. R1239:6
The ways of death – The Second Death. SM165:T; R5849:5*
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13 Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction. |
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14 From his ways is the backslider in heart filled, And a good man from his fruits. |
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15 The simple giveth credence to everything, And the prudent attendeth to his step. |
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16 The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident. |
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17 Whoso is short of temper doth folly, And a man of wicked devices is hated. |
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18 The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge. |
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19 The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous. |
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20 Even of his neighbour is the poor hated, And those loving the rich [are] many. |
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21 Whoso is despising his neighbour sinneth, Whoso is favouring the humble, O his happiness. |
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22 Do not they err who are devising evil And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good, |
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23 In all labour there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want. |
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24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly. |
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25 A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breatheth out lies. |
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26 In the fear of Jehovah [is] strong confidence, And to His sons there is a refuge. |
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27 The fear of Jehovah [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death. |
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28 In the multitude of a people [is] the honour of a king, And in lack of people the ruin of a prince. |
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29 Whoso is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoso is short in temper is exalting folly. |
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30 A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy. |
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31 An oppressor of the poor reproacheth his Maker, And whoso is honouring Him Is favouring the needy. |
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32 In his wickedness is the wicked driven away, And trustful in his death [is] the righteous. |
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33 In the heart of the intelligent wisdom doth rest. And in the midst of fools it is known. |
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34 Righteousness exalteth a nation, And the goodliness of peoples [is] a sin-offering. |
Exalteth a nation – Even though the kingdoms of this world are not the kingdom of the Lord, this principle prevails. R3399:5
Mankind will learn this when the Prince of Life has put in force the laws of righteousness and equity with an iron rule. A303; R726:1
History confirms that even now in proportion as a nation conforms to principles of righteousness and justice, it is exalted. R3399:5
We may well be astonished to see to what extent the influence of the righteous exercises a preservative influence upon the nations. R3399:5
Nevertheless, it is still true that prosperity is injurious in proportion as it separates the people from the divine arrangements. R4729:6
But sin is a reproach – Every evil course seems to be the misdirection of a good quality, as the war spirit of combativeness and destructiveness. R2641:3
Sin is constitutional derangement requiring continual effort to not slide backward. Thus, some heathen, not helped by the Lord, reached the lower depths of degradation. R3598:6
God will eventually bring home to each member of our race valuable lessons along this line. R5233:5
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35 The favour of a king [is] to a wise servant, And an object of his wrath is one causing shame! |
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