More of Solomon's Wise Sayings
1Here are some more
of Solomon's proverbs.
They were copied by the officials
of King Hezekiah of Judah.
2God is praised
for being mysterious;
rulers are praised
for explaining mysteries.
3Who can fully understand
the thoughts of a ruler?
They reach beyond the sky
and go deep in the earth.
No one can understand the ways or thoughts of God. They are too high for us to comprehend. God's mind is simply too complex. They reach beyond the sky and go deep under the earth. They are 天高地厚. This is where the expression comes from.
4Silver must be purified
before it can be used
to make something of value.
If you are being punished for your sins, be glad in it. It means you are as valuable as silver, and God wants to make Gold out of silver, out of you. This is possible for God, but it takes a lot of heat to make something silver shine bright as gold.
5Evil people must be removed
before anyone can rule
with justice.
Evil people must be sent to jail before rulers can rule with so called justice. If they are left to rule over territories, where is the justice in your country? Where is the justice in your kingdom?
6 Don't try to seem important
in the court of a ruler.
Always be humble when you are in the king's courts. Not just your country's courts, but in church as well. That is the Ruler's courts.
7It's better for the ruler
to give you a high position
than for you to be embarrassed
in front of royal officials.
Be sure you are right
Is it better to have a high position with many responsibilities than for you to be envious of your fellow Christian brothers and sisters for having a better, more well paid, more prestigious job or position than yours. To seethe with jealousy is unseemly, and you will just be embarrassed at the end.
Be sure you are on right standing with God and your employer, especially if they are a king.
8before you sue someone,
or you might lose your case
and be embarrassed.
Or when you accuse someone of being a thief of your job or having higher position than you or being more gifted than you, you will just be humiliated by your friends even.
9When you and someone else
can't get along,
don't gossip about it.
If you and someone can't get along, don't air it to the public. It only makes your weaknesses all the more apparent.
Then people can take advantage of your weaknesses.
10Others will find out,
and your reputation
will then be ruined.
Then they will stab you in the back and ruin your very reputation, and you will have no place to stay even.
11The right word
at the right time
is like precious gold
set in silver.
Apologies for not giving everyone yesterday's words at the right time. I was too tired and wanted to rest on the Sabbath day at least.
12Listening to good advice
is worth much more
than jewelry made of gold.
Listen to good advice from God and from your leaders at church. It is worth more than jewelry.
Don't just collect jewelry. Listen to your leaders at church.
Don't just collect jewelry. Listen to God's words in the Bible.
Or people will curse you for your jewelry.
As Christians we should not adorn ourselves with outward jewelry, with gold or silver, especially at church or at the church house.
We should let our beauty shine from within. Beauty comes from a quiet, peaceful, God-loving, not gold or diamond or silver or ruby loving character.
Anything else is just temptation.
Do not be tempted by even kings.
Do not be tempted by jobs.
Do not be tempted by retailers.
13A messenger you can trust
is just as refreshing
as cool water in summer.
Do not trust someone who tells you to bathe in hot water.
That is up to you.
If someone tells you to go to hell, metaphorically or literally by telling you to bathe in hot water, you should not trust them at all.
That is all.