Proverbs

This book of profound wisdom opens with bidding: "To Know Wisdom and Morality, to Understand words of profound meaning", "to take on morality, learning, justice and righteousness". "To give smarts to the naive", "The wise continues to listen to accumulate lessons, to buy intellectual tools, so that he can grasp indirect statements, hints from the wiser". "Recognition of God beings with understanding (not with blind worship), the dumb ones dismiss morality." "Listen son to the morality lessons of your father, and do not abandon the teaching of your mother". "Son, if easy-goers will seduce you saying: lets bind together, let's take advantage of the naive, and share the spolis -- go not with them. Mind you -- greed is overtaking the very soul of its practitioner!" "the joyfil silliness of the stupid -- will kill them, the tranquility of the dumb ones will lead them to total loss".

The author calls upon his readers to seek wisdom and knowledge because this search is the way to worship God. He warns against falling for an immoral seducer who devours all who fall for her. Wisdom in the key to understanding what is good, and what is just. In the final call the innocent will survive and the evil doers and the traitors will be lost and gone.

The author: Trust God, don't rely on your understanding. Seek wisdom -- namely it's not what is readily found. Wisdom is more precious than tangibles of riches, it is a tree of life to those who adhere to it. And then a profound statement rebuffing the thesis of chaos: God has created the universe with wisdom and insight. All there is God doing, and the worshipper should fear not of various scary scenarios.

19: Rejoice with your woman of your youth, a love deer, exquisite beauty, her breasts will satisfy you, day dream of loving her. Why, son, would you day dream of a foreigner, why embrace a stranger? Alas, God sees all.

If you misspoke, "eat" you words, ask for forgiveness, don't sleep until you do. Don't sleep with your friend's wife, however tempting, the Torah is a way of life, a way of Moral life. Beware of the shamed husband and his ire.

God marked 6 offenses, and 7 acts of divine displeasure: 1. arrogance, 2. lying, 3. killing the innocent, 4. an evil scheming heart, 5. rushing to commit evil, 6. becoming a dishonest witness, 7. flaring quarrels among brothers.

27 verses. warning: follow God, embrace wisdom against the powerful temptress who will make exciting love all night long and trap her victim.

36 verses. A thick poetry highlighed by: 11: see wisdom is better than pearls, and no 'things' will compare to it. 7: hence truth is in my palate, and filthy are the lips of the cruel 14: God: I am advice, I am help, I am wisdom and know how, to me is valor. God will enrich his followers 34: fortunate is the man listening to God's word, attentive to my gates day in day out because he who finds me, finds life, and extracts joy from God. Those who sin by me are smashing their soul, all my haters, love death.

18 verses. Sweet temptations of vanity is very persuasive: setting up an inviting table with wine and temptresses. Exploiting man inclination to enjoy spoils: "Stolen water are sweet, and bread of a secret affair is very pleasant" (17). And the trapped man is unaware that it is ghostly, and that the call comes from the abyss. 6: "Drop the stupid ones, and live a life of wisdom". 7:Don't be a clown it is a mark of shame, and call out the brute! " 8: "Don't criticize the clown, he will hate you. Criticize the wise, he will love you." 9:"Give to the wise, and he will be wiser, inform the righteous, and more righteous he will be" 10:"Wisdom begins with worship of God"!

32 verses. Sample: (1) A wise son will bring joy to his father; (10) the innocent is confident, the treacherous will be apprehensive; (12) hatred will invoke strife; all sins can be soothed with love; (14) the wise will encrypt knowledge!; (19) you can't wipe out a worng by talking it away; the scarce talker is the learned one; (23) God's blessing is enriching, and will not add sorrow; (25) When the storm goes through, the evil vanishes, and the righteous is found to be the foundation of the world; (27) Fear of God will extend life, the years of the evil one are few; (28) the hope of the righteous is joy, the hope of the evil is lost; (29) a fortress for innocence is the way of God! .

2: evil leads to shame, humility to wisdom. 3: the innocence of the righteous will console; 4: Money will be useless when rage comes on; charity will rescue from a death trap; 5: The righteousness of the innocent will guide him straight, an evil doer will be trapped by his evil. 8: a righteous person will be rescued from trouble, and the hateful will replace him. 9: flattery will spoil your friend. 12: belittling a friend is heartless, a man of wisdom will remain silent. 13: the gossiper breaks confidence, and the spiritually faithful is keeping secrets. 14: With no innovation a nation will fall, salvation comes through a multitude of counselors. 20: The heart stubborn are the dislike of God, He supports the innocent. 22: gold decoration on a pig's nose -- akin to a tasteless woman making herself look beautiful. 28: he who trusts his riches, will fall, and the righteous will flourish. 23: Destroyer of his house, shall inherit the wind.

25 verses. Man will not be built on cruelty, the lover of ethics is the lover of knowledge. The mouth of the righteous will save them. Man should be praised by his mind. The righteous one knows the soul of his domestic animal. The one who labors on his earth, will not be hungry. The sin of the lips are an explosive mine, the tongue of the wise is therapy, the language of truth will stand forever. 25: the man who has worries, should talk it out. Righteous life is the road for eternity.

25 verses. Most famous 23: "A father who spares his son from the rod -- harms him!"

35 verses. 1: woman's wisdom will build her house; a stupid woman will destroy her house with her own hands. A joker will not find depth and understanding 9: a heart knows its sadness, and no stranger will mix with the heart's inner joy. 15: better having little while worshipping God than owning a treasure mired with Chaos 16: Better eat salad with love around, than having a steak dinner where the people around the table loath each other. 18: an angry man will invoke anger, and the patient one will calm a quarrel. 20: a wise son will make his father happy, and a stupid son will dishonor his mother. 21: stupidity is joy to the heartless, and the man of wisdom will find the right path. 22: Thoughts cannot flourish without the benefit of secrecy; the wisdom of crowd will be constructive. 23: giving a good answer is joy to the wise; when things come in due time, it is so fortunate! 27: avarice will destroy one's home, rejection of gifts gives life! 33: The fear of God is the lesson of wisdom ; humility before pride!

33 verses. most striking: (1) A soft reply will calm anger, and word of sorrow will raise strife.

33 verses. 1. Man's ways are commendable in his eyes, but the contents of spirit is Godly, 2: Aim your thoughts towards God, and your thoughts will stay well railed, 6: repentance is through graceful and truthful behavior -- stay on the right course by worshipping God. 8; better earning little but justly, then much fraudulently . 9. man plans his way, but God sets foot for him 18: before a fall -- hubris, before failure -- arrogance 32: the patient one is more valued from a war here, he who disciplines his emotions is superior to the one who conquers a city.

28 verses. some: 1: Better a dry slice of bread with tranquility, then house of riches and belligerence. 2: a thinking slave will govern a shameful son. 5: a rejoicer in another's hurt will be punished 20: the stubborn of heart will not find good, a word confuser will meet bad. 22: a happy heart will bring on health, depression will dry out life 27: a well composed spirit spells wisdom. 28: a stupid one who keeps his lips tight may path as a man of wisdom.

24 verses. 6: unthoughtful words invoke strife; a stupid mouth will invite violence. 8: the negligent is like the evil doer 12: the one who rushes an answer before hearing out the question is stupid and shameful. 14: a man's ill spirit will nurse his ailment, who can lift up depression? 21: life and death is controlled by the tongue 22: finding a woman is finding goodness

29 verses. 3: A man's stupidity will distort his view of reality, and rather than blame himself he would blame God. 11: wisdom will advice patience 15: laziness will put you to sleep; a cheating soul will remain hungry. נפש רמיה תרעב This appears deep: happiness and spiritual satisfaction requires honesty of a man to himself. 20 listen to good advice and receive moral lecturing so you end up wise. 21: Man is full of possibilities and scenarios, but God's will is what will be. 24: a lazy man stretching his hand to the fruit dish, will be too lazy to pull his hand to his mouth...

30 verses. 5: deep water in the heart contain wisdom, that requires wisdom to extract. 6: "who will find a trustworthy man?" 7. The righteous walks around with his innocence, his children will benefit. 9: "who would say my heart is pure, I washed away the burden of my sin: . 13: "Don't indulge in sleep, you will lose your wealth, be alert and win your needs" 18: "thoughts with cleverness you build, use cleverness, surprise planning in war" 20: "The curser of his father and mother, his candle will be extinguished in the middle of the night". 22: "Don't say, I will take my revenge, trust God for your salvation" . 23: "God gives you your sense of way, deeper than what a man can understand with his own mind". 27: "Man's soul is God's candle, explorer of inner depth" 29: "the glory of youth is power, the glory of the old is their age".

28 verses. 2: "the Honor of God is the unknown, the honor of Kings is effort to know more", "don't betray a secret trusted to you" 12: "דבר דבור על אופניו" : "Put things in good order!" 14: "lot's of clouds, lot's of wind, and no rain" (hype!). 21: An amazing sentiment, taken later by Jesus: feed and bring water to your enemy in his hunger and thirst. It's better to have only a small corner on the roof to sit on then to wrestle with a belligerent wife.

27 verses. 1: Don't boast about the future, no one knows what's to come. 2: be praised by others, not by self. 5: don't hide criticism as a mistaken expression of love 7: a fulfilled soul will not fall for sweetened superficial appeals, but a deprived soul will embrace any bitter appeal as sweet and satisfying. The equivalent to "idle mind is the Devil's workshop". 20: hell and gutters are ever hungry for more, so is a man's desire! 22: crushed stupidity is still stupidity.

33 verses. 5: God's word is pure, shelter to those who seek protection under it. 7: two things I ask God before I die: (i) keep me off vanity, lies and bullshit, and (ii) save me from poverty, and from riches -- give me my needs. 11: people who curse their father, and don't bless their mother; people who think they are pure, but are stained by their own feces. People of arrogance, hurting the pure. From verse 18 to 23: a series of "on three and on four" wonders. e.g.: the way of romance, how a cheating woman claims her innocence. Three and four abominations in the world: a slave who becomes king, an evil man doing well, and having sex with a hated wife. Four small ones with great wonder: (i) the ants, so small and weak, yet labor all summer to survive the winter. (ii) Rabbits are so vulnerable, but smartly hide in rocks. (iii) the locus is leaderless, but is powerful with numbers. (iv) lizards using all their sticky legs climb to king's quarters.

31 verses. First part says that alcohol to a judge may distort his judgment, but alcohol to the miserable, will make him forget his trouble. Second part a ode to the fine wife, so rare she is, so praised, so resourceful. The wisdom of the vanity of beauty and the merit of the fear of God.