Illustration by David Wierzbicki
Proverbs 9
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Author Archives: James
Proverbs 8
Proverbs 7
Proverbs 6
Proverbs 6
Warnings Against Folly
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
if you have struck hands in pledge for another,
2 if you have been trapped by what you said,
ensnared by the words of your mouth,
3 then do this, my son, to free yourself,
since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:
Go and humble yourself;
press your plea with your neighbor!
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,
no slumber to your eyelids.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man. [a]
12 A scoundrel and villain,
who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 who winks with his eye,
signals with his feet
and motions with his fingers,
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart-
he always stirs up dissension.
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;
he will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy.
16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Warning Against Adultery
20 My son, keep your father’s commands
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and the corrections of discipline
are the way to life,
24 keeping you from the immoral woman,
from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes,
26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread,
and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment;
whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never be wiped away;
34 for jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.
Proverbs 5
Proverbs 4
Proverbs 3
Proverbs 2
March Proverbs
This series of posts throughout the month of March was sparked with you the artist in mind. To encourage you to hide His word in your heart. God exhorts us to hold each other up just as Moses had Aaron and Hur to hold his arms up when he was tired. So I exhort you and encourage you to read His Word in a way that strengthens your inner man. To encourage you to embrace God’s word and use the gifts He’s given to you as you study His word and discover the influence the Word can have outside this Exercise in your daily life.
The next 30 days is meant to be an artistic Exercise. Whatever artistic gift you may possess whether it be poetry, painting, sketching or perhaps writing use it as you study His Word. You know when you are your most creative and there’s nothing that says you need to spend to much time on this Exercise, although I have found the longer I let my mind roll through the Word I find bits and pieces that cling to my heart.
I kept a portion of scripture from Proverbs 1 on my sketchpad as I meditated on His Word. I certainly felt His presence, a peace that settled my heart and mind while doing something I love. Such a lovely way to hide His word in your heart while embracing the gifts He has given to us.
whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.” – Proverbs 1:33
Click below to start your Exercise, an audio version has been linked for those who wish to download the proverb and listen throughout the day.
Proverbs 1 – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=24&chapter=1&version=31
Proverbs Audio – http://www.audiotreasure.com/mp3/Proverbs/
- Tanya
Proverbs 1
For the month of March as a community we are going to get into the word of God and look together at the book of Proverbs.
Daily we will be posting up one chapter of proverbs along with an illustration that has been created to go with it.
We still have the need for a few illustrations, so if you have the time to provide one to share then please get in touch!
Prologue: Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools [a] despise wisdom and discipline.Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against Enticement
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.9 They will be a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.10 My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them.11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood,
let’s waylay some harmless soul;12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, [b]
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;14 throw in your lot with us,
and we will share a common purse”-15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;16 for their feet rush into sin,
they are swift to shed blood.17 How useless to spread a net
in full view of all the birds!18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they waylay only themselves!19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the lives of those who get it.Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street,
she raises her voice in the public squares;21 at the head of the noisy streets [c] she cries out,
in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:22 “How long will you simple ones [d] love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?23 If you had responded to my rebuke,
I would have poured out my heart to you
and made my thoughts known to you.24 But since you rejected me when I called
and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,25 since you ignored all my advice
and would not accept my rebuke,26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you-27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me.29 Since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the LORD,30 since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Illustration by Tanya Nichols