“Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?” Proverbs 5:18-20 (KJB)
Wisdom
Bearing Precious Seed
“When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, ‘The LORD hath done great things for them.’
The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:1-6 (KJB)
Listening and Doing
“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:20-27 (KJB)
A Tree Of Life
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.” Proverbs 3:13-18 (KJB)
Out Of The Snare Of The Fowlers
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; ‘If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: then the proud waters had gone over our soul.’
Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:1-8 (KJB)
Until He Have Mercy Upon Us
“Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes upon the LORD our God, until that He have mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.” Psalm 123:1-4 (KJB)
Keep The Paths Of The Righteous
“…None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.” Proverbs 2:19-22 (KJB)
Hear The Words Of Wisdom
“Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, ‘How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?’
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” Proverbs 1:20-23 (KJB)
Loving Jerusalem
“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’
Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, ‘Peace be within thee.’ Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.” Psalm 122:1-9 (KJB)
Where My Help Comes From
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” Psalm 121:1-8 (KJB)
Servant and Master; Husband and Wife
“Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.” Proverbs 30:10 (KJB)
Husband and Wife
“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” Proverbs 31:10-11
Wisdom, Judgment, Flattery, Snare, and Song
“Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.
In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.” Proverbs 29:3-6 (KJB)
I Cried Unto The LORD, And He Heard Me
“In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and He heard me.
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
What shall be given unto thee, or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.” Psalm 120:1-7 (KJB)
When We Learn God’s Righteous Judgments
“ALEPH.
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.
Thou hast commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently.
O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments.
I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments. I will keep Thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.” Psalm 119:1-8 (KJB)
The Upright, and The Perverse
“Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.” Proverbs 28:6-7 (KJB)
Of Rebuke and Kisses
“Open rebuke is better than secret love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:5-6 (KJB)
Better To Trust In The LORD
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: because His mercy endureth for ever.
Let Israel now say, that ‘His mercy endureth for ever.’
Let the house of Aaron now say, that ‘His mercy endureth for ever.’
Let them now that fear the LORD say, that ‘His mercy endureth for ever.’
I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes…” Psalm 118:1-9 (KJB)
Dealing With Power and Personal Perception
“Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: for better it is that it be said unto thee, ‘Come up hither;’ than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.” Proverbs 25:6-7 (KJB)
The LORD Is Righteous, And Gracious
“I love the LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul.
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and He helped me.
Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling…” Psalm 116:1-8 (KJB)
In The Image Of The LORD
“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, for Thy truth’s sake.
Wherefore should the heathen say, ‘Where is now their God?’ But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.” Psalm 115:1-11 (KJB)
Strength, Wisdom In Counsellors
“A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 24:5-6 (KJB)
Those Who Are Wise
“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” Proverbs 23:9 (KJB)
Tremble At The Presence Of The Lord
“When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
The sea saw, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.
What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, ye skipped like rams; ye little hills, like lambs?
Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.” Psalm 114:1-8 (KJB)
The LORD Is High Above All Nations
“Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised.
The LORD is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens.
Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth to behold in heaven, and in the earth?
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people.
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalm 113:1-9 (KJB)
Humility, The Fear Of The LORD
“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.” Proverbs 22:3-4 (KJB)