I. II. III. THE DECALOGUE THE TEN WORDS BROUGHT BY MOSES TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL I AM YAHWEH, THY GOD; thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh, thy God, in vain. IV. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness. X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor any thing that is his. [Expositions of these laws, as applied to every circumstance in the life of a simple agricultural people, are to be found in Exodus, xx, 19-xxiii, 33, and in Leviticus, xviiXxvi. The former group is known as the Book of the Covenant, and the latter as the Law of Holiness. The Law of Holiness is held to be the more ancient; but whether it came from the Mosaic age or not cannot be proved. The Book of the Covenant closes with the exhortation coupled with a promise, which forms the basis of the Book of Deuteronomy: "Behold, I send a messenger before thee to keep by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Take ye heed of him, and hearken unto his voice; provoke him not, for I will not pardon thy transgression, for My name is in him. But, if thou wilt indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak, then will I be an enemy to thy enemies, and an adversary to thy adversaries. And ye shall serve Yahweh our God; and I will bless thy bread and thy water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. None shall cast their young nor be barren in thy land; the number of thy days I will fulfil. And I will send a hornet before thee which shall drive out the Hivite and the Canaanite and the Hittite from before thee. By little and little I will drive them out before thee, until thou be increased and possess the land. And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistine, and from the wilderness unto the River (the Euphrates)".-ED.] THE FIRST COLLECTION OF PROVERBS (Proverbs, x, 1-xv, c. 950 B.c.) THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON i A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother. ii Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivereth from death. iii Yahweh will not suffer the righteous to famish, but He thrusteth away the desire of the wicked. iv He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. V A wise son gathereth in summer, but he that sleepeth in harvest causeth shame. vi Blessings are upon the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked concealeth violence. vii The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot. viii The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool shall fall. ix He that walketh uprightly walketh surely, but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. X He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow, but a prating fool shall fall. xi The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but the mouth of the wicked covereth violence. xii Hatred covereth up strife, but love covereth all transgression. xiii In the lips of him that hath discernment, wisdom is found; xiv Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is an imminent ruin. 4 XV The rich man's wealth is his strong city; the ruin of the poor is their poverty. xvi The labor of the righteous tendeth to life; the increase of the wicked, to sin. xvii He is in the way of life that heedeth instruction, but he that forsaketh reproof, erreth. xviii He that hideth hatred is of lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander is a fool. xix In the multitude of words there lacketh not transgression, XX The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. xxi The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for want of understanding. xxii The blessing of Yahweh, it maketh rich, and toil addeth nothing thereto. xxiii It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness; so is wisdom to a man of discernment. xxiv The heart of the wicked, it shall come upon him; the desire of the righteous shall be granted. XXV When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is a lasting foundation. xxvi As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. xxvii The fear of Yahweh prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. xxviii The hope of the righteous shall be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. xxix The way of Yahweh is a stronghold to the upright, but ruin to the workers of iniquity. XXX The righteous shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not dwell in the land. xxxi The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, but the froward tongue shall be cut off. xxxii The lips of the righteous uttereth wisdom, but those of the wicked speak frowardness. xxxiii A false balance is abomination to Yahweh, but a just weight is His delight. When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is. wisdom. XXXV The integrity of the upright shall guide them; But the perverseness of the faithless shall destroy them. Riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivereth from death. xxxvii The righteousness of the sincere shall direct his way, Xxxviii The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them; but they that deal treacherously shall be taken in their own mischief. When the wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish, and the hope of iniquity perisheth. xl The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead. xli With his mouth the impious man destroyeth his neighbor, but through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered. xlii When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth, and when the wicked perish, there is joy. xliii By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. xliv He that despiseth his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of discernment holdeth his peace. xlv He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets; xlvi Where no wise guidance is, a people falleth, but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. xlvii He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it, but he that hateth suretiship is sure. xlviii A gracious woman obtaineth honor, and strong men obtain riches. xlix The merciful man doeth good to his own soul, but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. 1 The wicked earneth deceitful wages, but he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward. li Steadfast righteousness tendeth to life, but he that pursueth evil doth it to his own death. lii They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to Yahweh; liii Though hand join in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished; But the seed of the righteous shall escape. liv As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman without discretion. lv The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. lvi There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more; And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth only to want. lvii The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that satisfieth abundantly shall be satisfied himself. lviii He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him; lix He that diligently seeketh good, seeketh favor; but he that searcheth after mischief, it shall come upon him. lx He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish like the green leaf. lxi He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; and the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart. lxii The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that is wise winneth souls. lxiii Behold, the righteous shall be requited in the earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner! lxiv Whoso loveth knowledge loveth correction, but he that is brutish hateth reproof. lxv A good man shall obtain favor from Yahweh, but a man of wicked devices will He condemn. lxvi A man shall not be established by wicknedness, but the root of the righteous shall never be moved. lxvii A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; but she that doth shamefully is as rottenness in his bones. lxviii The thoughts of the righteous are just; but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. |