Proverbs 4:1-27
Wisdom Is Supreme
1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a boy in my father's house,
still tender, and an only child of my mother,
4 he taught me and said,
"Lay hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot sleep till they do evil;
they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
24 Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Make level paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.
27 Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
Many believe that Solomon wrote the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes...He gives us sound learning, so we should not forsake his teachings...
Wisdom and lack of wisdom are in many of the Proverbs...The Bible says in Proverbs 4:6-7, "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you... Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom...Though it cost all you have, get understanding."...The Preverb author says that wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, but a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding...The author adds the wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception...Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, but what is in the heart of fools is made known...A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth...A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control...Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips...Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life...
Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes, I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness."...And he says the heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left...
Lack of wisdom can become more dangerous and one believes in lies and constant lies...Those who do not believe in the Truth are a dangerous enemy...And evil wrongdoing carries with it the germ of its own punishment...While arguing with one who believes in lies are defenseless in their Truths...Wisdom can protest against a constant lie, but it is believed your protest is defenseless...Truths and facts and reason that are normally irreputable are inconsequential words...Their reasons for their truth becomes something you must deal with love...Love maybe the only argument against the defenseless words that are not based on an argument without logic...
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book , Letters and Papers from Prison wrote, “Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice...One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force...Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease...Against stupidity we are defenseless...Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed – in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical – and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental...In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack...For that reason, greater caution is called for when dealing with a stupid person than with a malicious one...Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.”...