Proverbs 12

By thissmallgroup, October 12, 2019

King Solomon’s advice in chapter 12 continues to teach of the benefits of righteousness, though this time he also warns of the risks of wickedness. Solomon sets wickedness as the opposite of righteousness, further driving home the point that one’s choices determine her character. As anyone who spends much time with children knows, no one is fully perfect or purely evil by nature; instead, their decisions gradually shape them into the people they will become. Knowing this, Solomon instructed his readers of wicked and righteous actions, so that they would be able to recognize the differences and choose the best ones. While God will bless and protect the righteous, the wicked inadvertently curse themselves with their own thoughts and actions.

Verse 1: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”

Verse 16: “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.”

Verse 24: “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.”