King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 10 notes
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Why is that so? Why is the meat of the ruler deceitful meat?
Is it that it is a trap for the ruler to observe your conduct when abundance or limitless resources are brought before you?
Such that by your eating, your motives and character are judged.
3Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Why would wisdom say this, when riches is a good thing?
Ironically, he pleads and begs for us to gain wisdom and search for it as we would precious rubies.
Yet when it comes to riches, he cautions us about it.
Could it be because of the deceitfulness of riches?
So the irony is that we seek and labour to be rich, rather than seeking with the same passion for wisdom, and rather disdain wisdom and treat it lightly.
It seems we have our priorities the other way round.
May the Lord help us.
In the next verse we are told why we should not set our eyes on riches: they are so fleeting and uncertain.
5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
The teacher is not against riches, for he teaches in his many proverbs how to grow in wealth and take care of one's flocks etc.
But what we are warned about is that riches is not a sure thing; it can disappear any time, so it is not wise to cast your hopes and life upon it.
Rather, seek for wisdom, which cannot be taken from you and which will give you life and lead you in the way you should go.
Money is so fleeting; it cannot be taken to the grave with you, others will inherit it, but wisdom will preserve your life both in this realm and hereafter.
6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Another wisdom key when it comes to eating with the wicked: his heart is not with thee.
With every morsel you swallow, he is scheming how he will get back every morsel you have swallowed and more.
8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
So the many people in our times who, through their influence and power, have taken others' property in this country,
woe to them; they fight against one who is mighty, but they know not.
One day they will pay for it bad.
12Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
A worthy 🗒 note to all parents.
14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
15My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
It is an easy temptation to fall into, because sinners seem to enjoy life and do so well, but it's only a matter of time.
We are admonished in the next verse that our expectation shall not be cut off in the end.
18For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Very apt and beautiful summary of the cry of wisdom.
We are not to let go of wisdom ever; we must accumulate only and never let go of it.
24The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
26My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
That is the more grave danger of drunkenness: things you would ordinarily not have done, you will end up doing.
When you finally awake out of your stupor, the wisdom of your ways will be before you.
You will reap the consequences.
34Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.