https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0928db.mp3 Listen to Bible reading Through My Bible Yr 03 – September 28 Proverbs 6 – 7 Eighth Address to a Son: Wisdom Avoids Entanglements Proverbs 6 1 My son, if you have guaranteed your neighbor’s debts, if you have shaken hands for a stranger, 2 you are trapped by the promises from your mouth; you are captured by the promises from your mouth. 3 Because you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands, go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor. 4 Do not allow your eyes to sleep, or your eyelids to slumber. 5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of a hunter, or like a bird from the hand of a trapper. Wisdom Warns Against Laziness 6 Go to the ant, you slacker! [1] Observe its ways and become wise. 7 Although it has no overseer, officer, or ruler, 8 it stores its food in summer. It gathers its provisions at harvest time. 9 How long will you lie there, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of your hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come on you like a prowler, and scarcity will come on you like a warrior. Dishonesty Leads to Disaster 12 A worthless, wicked scoundrel, who goes around with a corrupt mouth, 13 who winks with his eye, signals with his foot, and gestures with his fingers, 14 who plots evil with a deceitful heart— he always spreads conflict. 15 Therefore his disaster will come upon him suddenly. All at once he will be broken, and there will be no remedy. Things That Are Disgusting to the Lord 16 These are six things the Lord hates, seven things that really disgust him: 17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run quickly to do evil, 19 a false witness who breathes lies, and a person who spreads conflict between brothers. Ninth Address to a Son: Avoid Sexual Immorality 20 My son, keep your father’s commands, and do not forsake your mother’s teachings. 21 Fasten them permanently to your heart, and tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk around, they will lead you. When you lie down, they will stand guard over you. When you wake up, they will converse with you, 23 because a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and the warnings given by discipline are a road to life. 24 They guard you from an evil woman, from the smooth tongue of a woman who is not your wife. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart. Do not let her captivate you with her eyes. 26 A prostitute costs you a loaf of bread, but a married woman stalks your precious life. 27 Can a man place fire on his lap without burning his clothes? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? 29 So it is with the man who goes to his neighbor’s wife. No one who touches her will be forgiven. 30 No one despises a thief when he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving, 31 but when he is caught, he will have to repay seven times as much. He will have to give up all the wealth of his house. 32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks sense. He who does it destroys himself. 33 He will find disease and dishonor, and his disgrace will never be wiped out, 34 because jealousy ignites a husband’s anger, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. 35 He will not accept any amount as a payment. He will not relent, even if you increase your offer. Tenth Address to a Son: Wisdom Protects You From Adultery and Death Proverbs 7 1 My son, guard what I say. Keep my commands with you. 2 Obey my commands so that you may live. Protect my teachings like the pupil of your eye. 3 Tie them to your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to Wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call Understanding your relative. [2] 5 She will keep you safe from an immoral woman, from an unfaithful woman and her seductive words. Wisdom’s Warning 6 At a window of my house, I looked out through the lattice. 7 I was watching the gullible [3] people. Among the young men I noticed a youth without sense. 8 He was crossing the street near her corner, strolling along the road to her house, 9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, when the darkness of the night was coming. [4] 10 Suddenly a woman meets him. She is dressed like a prostitute with a scheming heart! 11 She is loud and rebellious. Her feet will not stay home. 12 One moment she is in the street. The next moment she is in the public square. She is on the prowl near every corner. 13 She grabs him and kisses him. With a brazen face she says, 14 “I have food from fellowship offerings. Today I fulfilled my vows. 15 That is why I came out to meet you. I came eagerly to seek you, and now I have found you! 16 I have covered my couch with a bedspread, with colored cloth made of Egyptian yarn. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love [5] until morning. Let’s enjoy making love. 19 Look, my husband isn’t home. He has gone on a long trip. 20 He took a bag of silver with him. He will not come home till the next full moon.” 21 She deceives him with enticing words. With smooth lips she seduces him. 22 He follows right after her, like a steer going to slaughter, like a deer prancing into a noose, [6] 23 until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a trap. He does not realize this will cost him his life. 24 Now, you sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words from my mouth. 25 Do not let your heart turn in her direction. Do not wander on her pathways, 26 because she has brought down many victims. Those she has killed are countless. 27 Her house is on the road to the grave. [7] It goes down to the chambers of death. Footnotes Proverbs 6:6 Or you loafer or you lazybones Proverbs 7:4 Or close friend Proverbs 7:7 Or naïve Proverbs 7:9 Literally in the pupil of the night and darkness Proverbs 7:18 The Hebrew word refers to physical expressions of love. Proverbs 7:22 The ancient versions support the translation. The Hebrew text reads like an anklet to the discipline of a fool. Reading the word for fool as the very similar word for deer leads to the translation above. The context seems to require the trapping of an animal. Proverbs 7:27 Or on the highway to hell. The Hebrew word is sheol. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
