Day 14 The Wisdom Books in a Month

Proverbs 29

1 A reprover is better than a stiff-necked man: for when the latter is suddenly set on fire, there shall be no remedy. 2 When the righteous are praised, the people will rejoice: but when the ungodly rule, men mourn. 3 When a man loves wisdom, his father rejoices: but he that keeps harlots will waste wealth. 4 A righteous king establishes a country: but a transgressor destroys [it]. 5 He that prepares a net in the way of his own friend, entangles his own feet in it. 6 A great snare [is spread] for a sinner: but the righteous shall be in joy and gladness. 7 A righteous man knows how to judge for the poor: but the ungodly understands not knowledge; and the poor man has not an understanding mind. 8 Lawless men burn down a city: but wise men turn away wrath. 9 A wise man shall judge nations: but a worthless man being angry laughs and fears not. 10 Bloody men hate a holy [person], but the upright will seek his soul. 11 A fool utters all his mind: but the wise reserves his in part. 12 When a king hearkens to unjust language, all his subjects are transgressors. 13 When the creditor and debtor meet together, the Lord oversees them both. 14 When a king judges the poor in truth, his throne shall be established for a testimony. 15 Stripes and reproofs give wisdom: but an erring child disgraces his parents. 16 When the ungodly abound, sins abound: but when they fall, the righteous are warned. 17 Chasten thy son, and he shall give thee rest; and he shall give honour to thy soul. 18 There shall be no interpreter to a sinful nation: but he that observes the law is blessed. 19 A stubborn servant will not be reproved by words: for even if he understand, still he will not obey. 20 If thou see a man hasty in [his] words, know that the fool has hope rather than he. 21 He that lives wantonly from a child, shall be a servant, and in the end shall grieve over himself. 22 A furious man stirs up strife, and a passionate man digs up sin. 23 Pride brings a man low, but the Lord upholds the humble-minded with honour. 24 He that shares with a thief, hates his own soul: and if any having heard an oath uttered tell not of it, 25 [they] fearing and reverencing men [unreasonably] have been overthrown, but he that trusts in the Lord shall rejoice. Ungodliness causes a man to stumble: but he that trusts in his master shall be safe. 26 Many wait on the favour of rulers; but justice comes to a man from the Lord. 27 A righteous man is an abomination to an unrighteous man, and the direct way is an abomination to the sinner.

Proverbs 30

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Proverbs 31

10 Who shall find a virtuous woman? for such a one is more valuable than precious stones. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her: such a one shall stand in no need of fine spoils. 12 For she employs all her living for her husband's good. 13 Gathering wool and flax, she makes it serviceable with her hands. 14 She is like a ship trading from a distance: so she procures her livelihood. 15 And she rises by night, and gives food to her household, and [appointed] tasks to her maidens. 16 She views a farm, and buys it: and with the fruit of her hands she plants a possession. 17 She strongly girds her loins, and strengthens her arms for work. 18 And she finds by experience that working is good; and her candle goes not out all night. 19 She reaches forth her arms to needful [works], and applies her hands to the spindle. 20 And she opens her hands to the needy, and reaches out fruit to the poor. 21 Her husband is not anxious about those at home when he tarries anywhere abroad: for all her household are clothed. 22 She makes for her husband clothes of double texture, and garments for herself of fine linen and scarlet. 23 And her husband becomes a distinguished [person] in the gates, when he sits in council with the old inhabitants of the land. 24 She makes fine linens, and sells girdles to the Chananites: she opens her mouth heedfully and with propriety, and controls her tongue. 25 She puts on strength and honour; and rejoices in the last days. 26 The ways of her household are careful, and she eats not the bread of idleness. 27 But she opens her mouth wisely, and according to law. 28 And [her] kindness to them sets up her children for them, and they grow rich, and her husband praises her. 29 Many daughters have obtained wealth, many have wrought valiantly; but thou hast exceeded, thou hast surpassed all. 30 Charms are false, and woman's beauty is vain: for it is a wise woman that is blessed, and let her praise the fear of the Lord. 31 Give her of the fruit of her lips; and let her husband be praised in the gates.

Ecclesiastes 1

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 3 What advantage [is there] to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever. 5 And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place; 6 arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 8 All things are full of labour; a man will not be able to speak [of them]: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing. 9 What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 [Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us. 11 There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall be at the last [time]. 12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith. 14 I beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, behold, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit. 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and deficiency cannot be numbered. 16 I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge. 17 And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit. 18 For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 2

1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity. 2 I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why doest thou this? 3 And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as [with] wine, (though my heart guided [me] in wisdom,) and [I desired] to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life. 4 I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards. 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit-tree. 6 I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood. 7 I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem. 8 Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers. 9 So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me. 10 And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour. 11 And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labour which I laboured to perform: and, behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun. 12 Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things wherein he employs it? 13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness. 14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all. 15 And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me; and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance. 16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now [in] the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool? 17 So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit. 18 And I hated the whole of my labour which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labour in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity. 20 So I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labour wherein I had laboured under the sun. 21 For there is [such] a man that his labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; yet [this] man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil. 22 For it happens to a man in all his labour, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labours under the sun. 23 For all his days [are days] of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity. 24 A man has nothing [really] good to eat, and to drink, and to shew his soul [as] good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God. 25 For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him? 26 For [God] has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 3

1 To all things there is a time, and a season for every matter under heaven. 2 A time of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to pull down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to lament, and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 9 What advantage [has] he that works in those things wherein he labours? 10 I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with. 11 All the things which he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the whole world in their heart, that man might not find out the work which God has wrought from the beginning even to the end. 12 I know that there is no good in them, except [for a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13 Also [in the case of] every man who shall eat and drink, and see good in all his labour, [this] is a gift of God. 14 I know that whatsoever things God has done, they shall be for ever: it is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to take away from it: and God has done [it], that [men] may fear before him. 15 That which has been is now; and whatever things [are appointed] to be have already been; and God will seek out that which is past. 16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one. 17 And I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the ungodly: for there is a time there for every action and for every work. 18 I said in my heart, concerning the speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to shew that they are beasts. 19 Also to them is the event of the sons of man, and the event of the brute; one event befalls them: as is the death of the one, so also the death of the other; and there is one breath to all: and what has the man more than the brute? nothing; for all is vanity. 20 All [go] to one place; all were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust. 21 And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth? 22 And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him?