Today we look at Proverbs chapters 10-12. This begins a new section, for now we're not looking at Wisdom speaking like a parent to a child, but from 10:1-15:33 is a collection called "the Proverbs of Solomon." These are two-line ditties which contrast the way of Wisdom with the way of Foolishness. These can be hard to read in large chunks because there is no narrative story line or even connection between them.

Here's my summary of what values are lifted up as coming from Wisdom, and which are put down as coming from Foolishness:

WISDOM'S WAYS/FOOLISHNESS' WAYS
Careful speech/Loose tongue (including gossip, lying, chattering too much)
Hard work/Laziness
Righteousness/Wickedness

Integrity/Crookedness

Honesty/Falsehood

Aggression/Timidity (11:16; this is surprising!)

Kindness/Cruelty (especially to animals)

Generosity/Stinginess

Trust in God/Trust in riches

Love of discipline/Hatred of discipline

Listening to advice/Spurning advice

I have to say I am puzzled by 12:21 -- "No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble." This is the theology/philosophy espoused by Job's 3 friends, but which is so clearly repudiated in that book. In my Oct 28 post, I said that Proverbs presents life as essentially "fair." But it is not, at least in my experience. Bad things DO happen to good people. "Why?" is a whole 'nother blog!

Be that as it may, to what extent have you found the left side of the above ledger to bring life to your world, and the right side to rob life from it?