Immerse: Poets Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 255
27:19–28:8
P ro v er b s
243
As a face is reflected in water,
so the heart reflects the real person.
Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
so human desire is never satisfied.
Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,
but a person is tested by being praised.
You cannot separate fools from their foolishness,
even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.
Know the state of your flocks,
and put your heart into caring for your herds,
for riches don’t last forever,
and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.
After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears
and the mountain grasses are gathered in,
your sheep will provide wool for clothing,
and your goats will provide the price of a field.
And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,
your family, and your servant girls.
The wicked run away when no one is chasing them,
but the godly are as bold as lions.
When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily.
But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.
A poor person who oppresses the poor
is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.
To reject the law is to praise the wicked;
to obey the law is to fight them.
Evil people don’t understand justice,
but those who follow the Lord understand completely.
Better to be poor and honest
than to be dishonest and rich.
Young people who obey the law are wise;
those with wild friends bring shame to their parents.
Income from charging high interest rates
will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor.
