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ââProverbs⏠â3:1â-âŹ35⏠âMSGâŹâŹ
[1-2] Good friend, donât forget all Iâve taught you; take to heart my commands. Theyâll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well. [3-4] Donât lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in Godâs eyes and the eyes of the people. [5-12] Trust God from the bottom of your heart; donât try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for Godâs voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; heâs the one who will keep you on track. Donât assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But donât, dear friend, resent Godâs discipline; donât sulk under his loving correction. Itâs the child he loves that God corrects; a fatherâs delight is behind all this. [13-18] Youâre blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight. Sheâs worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary. Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. With one hand she gives long life, with the other she confers recognition. Her manner is beautiful, her life wonderfully complete. Sheâs the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her. Hold her tightâand be blessed! [19-20] With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth; with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven. They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface, and dew to descend from the night skies. [21-26] Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; donât for a minute lose sight of them. Theyâll keep your soul alive and well, theyâll keep you fit and attractive. Youâll travel safely, youâll neither tire nor trip. Youâll take afternoon naps without a worry, youâll enjoy a good nightâs sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsdayâs just around the corner, Because God will be right there with you; heâll keep you safe and sound. [27-29] Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is Godâs hand for that person. Donât tell your neighbor âMaybe some other timeâ or âTry me tomorrowâ when the moneyâs right there in your pocket. Donât figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor when heâs sitting there trusting and unsuspecting. [30-32] Donât walk around with a chip on your shoulder, always spoiling for a fight. Donât try to be like those who shoulder their way through life. Why be a bully? âWhy not?â you say. Because God canât stand twisted souls. Itâs the straightforward who get his respect. [33-35] Godâs curse blights the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder, but if youâre down on your luck, heâs right there to help. Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize.

