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ââI’m excited to start on Proverbs today!
Proverbs⏠â1:1â-âŹ33⏠âMSGâŹâŹ
[1-6] These are the wise sayings of Solomon, Davidâs son, Israelâs kingâ Written down so weâll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where itâs going; A manual for living, for learning whatâs right and just and fair; To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. Thereâs something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learnâ Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women. [7] Start with Godâthe first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. [8-19] Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your motherâs knee. Wear their counsel like a winning crown, like rings on your fingers. Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, donât go along with them. If they sayââLetâs go out and raise some hell. Letâs beat up some old man, mug some old woman. Letâs pick them clean and get them ready for their funerals. Weâll load up on top-quality loot. Weâll haul it home by the truckload. Join us for the time of your life! With us, itâs share and share alike!ââ Oh, friend, donât give them a second look; donât listen to them for a minute. Theyâre racing to a very bad end, hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on. Nobody robs a bank with everyone watching, Yet thatâs what these people are doingâ theyâre doing themselves in. When you grab all you can get, thatâs what happens: the more you get, the less you are. [20-21] Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts. At the town center she makes her speech. In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand. At the busiest corner she calls out: [22-24] âSimpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance? Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism? Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn? About face! I can revise your life. Look, Iâm ready to pour out my spirit on you; Iâm ready to tell you all I know. As it is, Iâve called, but youâve turned a deaf ear; Iâve reached out to you, but youâve ignored me. [25-28] âSince you laugh at my counsel and make a joke of my advice, How can I take you seriously? Iâll turn the tables and joke about your troubles! What if the roof falls in, and your whole life goes to pieces? What if catastrophe strikes and thereâs nothing to show for your life but rubble and ashes? Youâll need me then. Youâll call for me, but donât expect an answer. No matter how hard you look, you wonât find me. [29-33] âBecause you hated Knowledge and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God, Because you wouldnât take my advice and brushed aside all my offers to train you, Well, youâve made your bedânow lie in it; you wanted your own wayânow, how do you like it? Donât you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots? Carelessness kills; complacency is murder. First pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easyâyouâre in good hands.â

