Bible Buk Namba 20​—Proverbs

Olketa wea Talemaot: Solomon, Agur, Lemuel

Ples Olketa Raetem: Jerusalem

Taem Olketa Finis Raetem: c. 717 B.C.E.

TAEM Solomon, son bilong David, kamap king bilong Israel long 1037 B.C.E., hem prea long Jehovah for “wisdom and savve” for “judgem staka pipol hia.” Bihaen, Jehovah givim hem ‘savve and wisdom and wanfala heart for luksavve.’ (2 Chron. 1:10-12; 1 Ki. 3:12; 4:30, 31) From diswan, Solomon gogo “talem thri thousand wise toktok.” (1 Ki. 4:32) Samfala long disfala wisdom wea hem talemaot stap long Bible buk bilong Proverbs. From wisdom wea hem garem kam from “God putim long heart bilong hem,” hem minim taem iumi studyim Proverbs iumi studyim wisdom bilong Jehovah God. (1 Ki. 10:23, 24) Olketa proverb hia savve talemaot samfala trufala samting bilong olowe. Olketa toktok hia fitim disfala taem olsem hem fitim long taem olketa talemaot.

² Rul bilong Solomon hem wanfala gud taem for provaedem disfala direction from God. Olketa sei Solomon hem “sidaon long throne bilong Jehovah.” Theocratic kingdom bilong Israel kasem full paoa, and Solomon kasem nambawan “honor olsem king.” (1 Chron. 29:23, 25) Hem wanfala taem bilong peace and plande samting, wanfala taem bilong sef living. (1 Ki. 4:20-25) Nomata olsem, anda long datfala theocratic rul, pipol garem olketa problem and hard samting bilong olketa seleva from man no perfect. Hao pipol bae luk go long wise King Solomon for helpem olketa for stretem olketa problem bilong olketa hem mek sense. (1 Ki. 3:16-28) Taem hem givimaot olketa judgment long olketa case olsem, hem talemaot olketa wisefala toktok wea fitim evriday living. Olketa wea laek for live followim will bilong God tinghae tumas long olketa short bat spesol toktok hia.

³ Bible hem no sei Solomon raetem Proverbs. Bat, hem sei hem ‘talemaot’ olketa proverb, and tu “hem . . . barava lukaotem, mekem hem savve putim olketa proverb followim order,” wea diswan showimaot hem interest for keepim olketa proverb for iusim bihaen. (1 Ki. 4:32; Eccl. 12:9) Long taem bilong David and Solomon, olketa record showimaot hao olketa secretary stap. (2 Sam. 20:25; 2 Ki. 12:10) Iumi no savve sapos olketa secretary hia nao raetem and hipimap olketa proverb, bat taem pipol tinghae long toktok bilong eni man for rul wea garem savve olsem hem, iumi sure olketa bae recordim. Plande agree hao disfala buk olketa hipimap olketa part bilong hem from olketa nara buk wea pipol hipimap firstaem.

⁴ Buk bilong Proverbs garem faevfala part. Hem nao: (1) Chapter 1-9, wea start witim toktok, “Olketa wise toktok bilong Solomon son bilong David”; (2) Chapter 10-24, wea garem nem “Olketa Proverb Bilong Solomon”; (3) Chapter 25-29, wea start olsem: “Olketa hia tu proverb bilong Solomon wea olketa man bilong Hezekiah king bilong Judah nao copyim”; (4) Chapter 30, wea start olsem “Olketa toktok bilong Agur son bilong Jakeh”; and (5) Chapter 31, wea insaed long “Olketa toktok bilong King Lemuel hem stap, wanfala important message wea mami bilong hem talem for stretem hem.” Solomon nao main wan wea talemaot olketa proverb. Iumi no savve tumas abaotem hu nao Agur and Lemuel. Samfala sei Lemuel maet nara nem for Solomon.

⁵ Long wanem taem nao olketa raetem and hipimap Proverbs? Luk olsem bigfala haf olketa raetem long taem bilong rul bilong Solomon (1037-998 B.C.E.) bifor hem go difren. Bikos iumi no savve hu nao Agur and Lemuel, iumi kanduit markem taem wea olketa raetem. From wanfala part bilong buk kam from taem bilong rul bilong Hezekiah (745-717 B.C.E.), hem minim lastfala hipap bilong buk hard for kamap bifor rul bilong hem. Waswe, King Hezekiah hipimap last tufala part tu? Footnote long Proverbs 31:31 long New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References talem diswan: “Samfala ed[ition] bilong Heb[rew] text showim trigrammaton, or thrifala leta, Chehth, Zaʹyin, Qohph (חזק) wea stand for signature bilong King Hezekiah for showimaot waka bilong secretary for mekem copy hem finis.”

⁶ Long olketa Hebrew Bible olketa kolem buk followim firstfala word long buk, mish·lehʹ, minim “olketa proverb.” Mish·lehʹ kam from datfala Hebrew noun ma·shalʹ, wea luk olsem kam from wanfala rut word wea minim “mas olsem” or “mas markem.” Toktok hia fitim samting wea insaed long buk, from olketa proverb hem olketa short toktok wea fulap witim mining and plande taem storyim samting wea olsem or markem samting for mekem man wea lisin for tingting. Wei wea olketa proverb hem short olsem mekem hem interesting, and isi for teachim, lanem, and no forgetim. Hard tumas for forgetim.

⁷ Stael bilong toktok insaed long buk hem interesting tu. Hem iusim Hebrew stael poetry. Main part bilong buk hem wanem olketa kolem parallel poetry. Diswan no minim end bilong evri laen or verse hem mas here semsem. Hem minim for mekem evri laen wea followim pattern for givim tingting or idea wea semsem. Gud samting and paoa bilong hem for teach stap long disfala tingting wea followim pattern. Tingting hia maet semsem or difren evribit, bat paoa bilong parallel hem long there for givim moa mining long tingting hia, for minim moa idea hia, and for mek sure reader hem minim tingting insaed. Example bilong olketa parallel wea semsem stap long Proverbs 11:25; 16:18; and 18:15, and samfala example wea showimaot diswan moa stap long Proverbs 10:7, 30; 12:25; 13:25; and 15:8. Narakaen wei for raet nao stap long end bilong disfala buk. (Prov. 31:10-31) Olketa 22 verse wea stap long there olketa arrangem mekem each wan start witim leta bilong Hebrew alphabet and followim order bilong hem tu, diswan olketa kolem acrostic stael wea olketa iusim for samfala psalm tu. No eni raeting bilong bifor hem moa naes winim diskaen stael bilong raeting.

⁸ Wei wea Proverbs hem tru showaot long wei wea olketa first Christian iusim long bigfala wei for markem olketa rul bilong fasin. Luk olsem James savve gud long Proverbs and iusim principle bilong hem for givim gudfala kaonsel saed long Christian fasin. (Markem Proverbs 14:29; 17:27 witim James 1:19, 20; Proverbs 3:34 witim James 4:6; Proverbs 27:1 witim James 4:13, 14.) Long olketa scripture long daon iu savve faendem toktok wea olketa talem stret from Proverbs: Romans 12:20—Proverbs 25:21, 22; Hebrews 12:5, 6—Proverbs 3:11, 12; 2 Peter 2:22—Proverbs 26:11.

⁹ And tu, buk bilong Proverbs join gud witim full Bible, diswan hem pruv hao hem part bilong “evri Scripture.” Tingting bilong hem barava showimaot wan mind taem iumi markem witim Law bilong Moses, teaching bilong Jesus, and olketa raeting bilong olketa disaepol and aposol bilong Jesus. (Lukim Proverbs 10:16—1 Corinthians 15:58 and Galatians 6:8, 9; Proverbs 12:25—Matthew 6:25; Proverbs 20:20—Exodus 20:12 and Matthew 15:4.) Nomata taem hem storyim samting olsem wei for redim earth for olketa man stap long hem, hem showimaot wan mind witim tingting bilong olketa nara man wea raetem Bible.—Prov. 3:19, 20; Gen. 1:6, 7; Job 38:4-11; Ps. 104:5-9.

¹⁰ Nara pruv wea showimaot buk hia hem kam from God hem wei wea hem stret saed long science, nomata proverb storyim olketa chemical, medical, or health principle. Luk olsem Proverbs 25:20 storyim samting wea savve kamap midolwan acid and alkali. Proverbs 31:4, 5 hem agree witim samting wea modern science faendem distaem hao alcohol savve spoelem tingting bilong man. Plande doctor and savveman saed long kaikai, agree hao honey hem wanfala healthy kaikai, diswan mekem iumi tingim proverb wea sei: “Son bilong mi, kaikaim honey, from hem gudfala.” (Prov. 24:13) Savve bilong distaem hao fasin bilong man savve affectim body hem no niu samting long Proverbs. “Heart wea hem hapi savve mekem man feel gud.”—17:22; 15:17.

¹¹ Tru nao, from disfala buk bilong Proverbs storyim evri need and living bilong man, wanfala savveman sei: “No eni samting stap long laef wea no kasem advaes wea fitim, no eni gud or nogud fasin wea no garem stretfala toktok. Tingting bilong man evriwea hem join klos witim Divine Wan, . . . and man wakabaot olsem hem stap front long Maker and Judge bilong hem . . . Evrikaen wei bilong man stap long disfala olo buk; and nomata olketa raetem thri thousand year go pas finis, hem tru fitim living distaem olsem olketa raetem followim living long disfala taem.”—Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible, 1890, Vol. III, page 2616.

WEI WEA HEM HELPEM IUMI

¹⁹ Goal bilong Proverbs hem showaot long olketa first verse: “For man savve long wisdom and discipline, for luksavve long olketa toktok for minim samting, for kasem discipline wea givim savve, raeteous fasin and judgment and stretfala fasin, for givim long olketa wea no garem savve, wisefala tingting, long wanfala young man savve and wei for tingting gud.” (1:2-4) For join witim datwan, buk hia mekhae long savve, wisdom, and wei for minim samting, wea each wan savve help long wanfala wei.

²⁰ (1) Man barava needim savve, from hem nogud for no savve. No eniwan savve kasem stretfala savve sapos hem no fraet long Jehovah, from savve start witim disfala fraet. Savve hem moabeta winim gudfala gold. Why nao olsem? Thru long savve olketa raeteous wan bae sev, hem stopem iumi for kwiktaem duim sin. Iumi barava need for lukaotem, for tekem insaed! Hem garem hae price. So “tanem kam ear bilong iu and herem toktok bilong olketa wea wise, mekem barava heart bilong iu hem kasem savve bilong mi.”—22:17; 1:7; 8:10; 11:9; 18:15; 19:2; 20:15.

²¹ (2) Wisdom, fasin for iusim savve long stret wei for praisem Jehovah, “hem main samting.” Kasem datwan. Jehovah nao Start bilong hem. Wisdom wea savve givim laef garem start bilong hem long wei for savve and fraet long God—hem nao secret bilong wisdom. So fraet long God, no man. Wisdom wea showaot long really wei bae talemaot samting, and diswan bae muvim plande for stretem wei bilong olketa. Wisdom bae singaot long road. Jehovah singaot long olketa wea no garem experience and olketa wea short long heart for kam and feedim olketa seleva long bred bilong wisdom. Then, witim fraet long Jehovah, olketa bae hapi nomata sapos olketa garem lelebet samting nomoa. Blessing bilong wisdom hem staka; hem affectim man long wei for barava helpem man. Wisdom and savve—olketa nao olsem faondeson bilong gudfala tingting, kaen wea bae protectim iumi. Olsem honey hem gud and naes, wisdom hem olsem tu. Price bilong hem moa hae winim gold; hem wanfala tree bilong laef. Pipol wea no garem wisdom bae dae, from wisdom sevem laef, hem minim laef.—4:7; 1:7, 20-23; 2:6, 7, 10, 11; 3:13-18, 21-26; 8:1-36; 9:1-6, 10; 10:8; 13:14; 15:16, 24; 16:16, 20-24; 24:13, 14.

²² (3) Witim savve and wisdom, wei for minim samting hem important; dastawe, “witim evri samting wea iu kasem, kasem wei for minim samting.” Wei for minim samting hem fasin for luksavve long hao samting hem join tugeta; hem minim fasin for luksavve, wea followim God evritaem, from man no savve depend long savve bilong hemseleva. Wanfala man kanduit garem wei for minim samting or fasin for luksavve sapos hem waka againstim Jehovah! For kasem for iumiseleva, iumi mas barava lukaotem wei for minim samting olsem riches wea haed. For minim samting hem minim iumi mas garem savve. Man wea followim wei for minim samting bae kasem reward from hem lukaotem savve, yes wisdom hem stap front long hem. Hem kasem protection from staka trap bilong disfala world, olsem from olketa nogud pipol wea maet trae for pullim man for wakabaot witim olketa long wei bilong darkness. Givim thankiu long Jehovah God—datwan wea hem Start bilong savve, wisdom, and wei for minim samting wea savve givim laef!—4:7; 2:3, 4; 3:5; 15:14; 17:24; 19:8; 21:30.

²³ For join witim datfala goal bilong Proverbs, buk hia givim staka kaonsel wea wise, and kam from God for helpem iumi for kasem wei for minim samting and protectim heart, “from olketa samting bilong laef kamaot from hem.” (4:23) Long daon hem samfala wisefala kaonsel wea full buk mekhae long hem.

²⁴ Hem markem olketa wea wicked witim olketa wea raeteous: Olketa kruked wei bilong wicked wan bae kasholem hem, and riches bilong hem bae no sevem hem long day bilong kros. Raeteous wan stap redi for kasem laef and bae kasem reward from Jehovah.—2:21, 22; 10:6, 7, 9, 24, 25, 27-32; 11:3-7, 18-21, 23, 30, 31; 12:2, 3, 7, 28; 13:6, 9; 14:2, 11; 15:3, 8, 29; 29:16.

²⁵ Need for garem klin fasin: Solomon evritaem givim warning againstim dirty fasin. Pipol wea duim adultery bae kasem wanfala sik and nogud honor tu, and samting wea mekem olketa shame bae no finis. “Olketa wata wea olketa stealim” maet olsem swit taem iu young, bat jury woman bae gogo for dae and tekem olketa wea no garem experience witim hem. Jehovah judgem olketa wea foldaon insaed long deep hol bilong dirty fasin.—2:16-19; 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:4-27; 9:13-18; 22:14; 23:27, 28.

²⁶ Need for kontrolem seleva: Bible tok strong againstim fasin for drunk and ova tumas long kaikai. Olketa wea God appruvim mas garem fasin wea no ova tumas saed long kaikai and drink. (20:1; 21:17; 23:21, 29-35; 25:16; 31:4, 5) Olketa wea no kros kwiktaem nao garem bigfala fasin for luksavve and strong winim eni strong man wea tekovarem wanfala taon. (14:17, 29; 15:1, 18; 16:32; 19:11; 25:15, 28; 29:11, 22) And tu man needim fasin for kontrolem seleva for stap klia long jealous fasin, wea savve mekem olketa bon bilong hem kamap rotten.—14:30; 24:1; 27:4; 28:22.

²⁷ Wei for iusim toktok long wei wea wise and no wise: Jehovah barava heitim and bae showimaot klia olketa wea talem kruked toktok, tok spoelem man, givim false witness, and laea. (4:24; 6:16-19; 11:13; 12:17, 22; 14:5, 25; 17:4; 19:5, 9; 20:17; 24:28; 25:18) Sapos mouth bilong wanfala man talemaot gud samting, hem start bilong laef, bat mouth bilong krangge man bae kwiktaem leadim hem go for finis. “Dae and laef stap long paoa bilong tongue, and man wea lovem bae kaikaim frut bilong hem.” (18:21) Bible judgem wei for tok laea againstim samwan, or tok giaman, and toktok wea kamaot kwiktaem. Wei bilong wisdom hem for talemaot truth, for givim honor long God.—10:11, 13, 14; 12:13, 14, 18, 19; 13:3; 14:3; 16:27-30; 17:27, 28; 18:6-8, 20; 26:28; 29:20; 31:26.

²⁸ Krangge wei bilong praod fasin and need for garem hambol fasin: Praodfala man apim hemseleva long position wea hem no fitim, wea mekem hem foldaon. Jehovah heitim man wea garem praod heart, bat hem givim olketa hambol wan wisdom, glory, riches, and laef.—3:7; 11:2; 12:9; 13:10; 15:33; 16:5, 18, 19; 18:12; 21:4; 22:4; 26:12; 28:25, 26; 29:23.

²⁹ Hard waka, no lesy fasin: Staka difren wei stap for storyim lesy man. Hem shud go long ants for lane and kamap wise. Bat, man wea waka hard—hem bae go ahed gud!—1:32; 6:6-11; 10:4, 5, 26; 12:24; 13:4; 15:19; 18:9; 19:15, 24; 20:4, 13; 21:25, 26; 22:13; 24:30-34; 26:13-16; 31:24, 25.

³⁰ Gudfala kaban: Hem krangge for kaban witim olketa wea no fraet long Jehovah, witim olketa wicked or krangge wan, witim pipol wea savve kros tumas, gossip, or ova tumas long kaikai. Bat, kaban witim wise pipol, and iu tu bae kamap moa wise.—1:10-19; 4:14-19; 13:20; 14:7; 20:19; 22:24, 25; 28:7.

³¹ Needim repruv and discipline: “Man wea Jehovah lovem hem repruvim,” and olketa wea followim disfala discipline gogo for kasem glory and laef. Man wea heitim repruv bae no kasem honor.—3:11, 12; 10:17; 12:1; 13:18; 15:5, 31-33; 17:10; 19:25; 29:1.

³² Kaonsel long hao for wanfala gud waef: Plande taem Proverbs warn againstim wei for wanfala waef hem laek raoa and duim shame samting. Wanfala wise waef, wea hem fit and fraet long God bae keepim law bilong loving-kaeness long tongue bilong hem; eniwan wea faendem kaen waef olsem bae kasem gud samting from Jehovah.—12:4; 18:22; 19:13, 14; 21:9, 19; 27:15, 16; 31:10-31.

³³ Bringimap pikinini: Lanem olketa komand bilong God long olketa evritaem mekem olketa “no forgetim.” Bringimap olketa from taem olketa baby yet long teaching bilong Jehovah. No hol bak for iusim stik taem need hem kamap; sapos hem showimaot love, datfala stik and repruv bae givim wanfala boy wisdom. Olketa wea bringimap pikinini followim wei bilong God bae garem wisefala pikinini wea mekem dadi and mami kasem bigfala hapi.—4:1-9; 13:24; 17:21; 22:6, 15; 23:13, 14, 22, 24, 25; 29:15, 17.

³⁴ Responsibility for helpem narawan: Proverbs strongim diswan plande taem. Man wea wise mas givimaot savve for helpem olketa narawan. Wanfala man mas kaen tu for showimaot gudfala fasin long olketa wea no garem staka samting, and taem hem duim olsem, hem olsem hem givim kaon long Jehovah, wea promis for changem bak.—11:24-26; 15:7; 19:17; 24:11, 12; 28:27.

³⁵ Depend long Jehovah: Proverbs showimaot reason for olketa problem bilong iumi taem hem kaonselem iumi for trust evribit long God. Iumi mas lisin long Jehovah long evri wei bilong iumi. Wanfala man maet planim gogo bilong hem, bat Jehovah nao mas leadim hem. Nem bilong Jehovah hem olsem strong taoa, wea olketa raeteous wan savve ran for kasem protection. Hope long Jehovah and depend long Word bilong hem for leadim iumi.—3:1, 5, 6; 16:1-9; 18:10; 20:22; 28:25, 26; 30:5, 6.

³⁶ Buk bilong Proverbs hem helpem iumi for teachim and disciplinem iumiseleva and olketa narawan! Evri samting saed long gudfala wei for man fren hem insaed. Waswe, wanfala man laek for stap seleva from olketa wea worshipim God olsem hem? (18:1) Waswe, man wea stap long hae position disaedem samting bifor hem herem tufala saed bilong wanfala samting? (18:17) Waswe, hem wanfala man for trikim man long olketa nogud danger wei? (26:18, 19) Waswe, hem savve teksaed? (28:21) Man wea ownim stoa, man long farm, hasband and waef and pikinini—evriwan kasem gudfala kaonsel. Parents kasem help for showimaot klia olketa trap wea stap haed long gogo bilong olketa young wan. Olketa wea wise savve teachim olketa wea no garem experience. Olketa proverb hem gud nomata wea nao iumi stap; instruction and kaonsel bilong buk hia no savve kamap nogud. Wantaem bifor man bilong America for teach, William Lyon Phelps hem sei: “Buk bilong Proverbs, hem moa ap-tu-date winim niuspepa bilong tuday.”a Buk bilong Proverbs hem ap-tu-date, gudfala, and savve helpem iumi for teach bikos hem kam from God.

³⁷ From hem gud for stretem evri samting, buk bilong Proverbs, wea Solomon nao talemaot main part bilong hem, tanem man go long Olmaeti God. Jesus Christ tu duim sem samting, datwan wea Matthew 12:42 sei hem “samting wea winim Solomon.”

³⁸ Iumi hapi tumas from Jehovah chusim disfala barava wise Wan olsem Kingdom Seed! Throne bilong hem “bae stap strong thru long raeteous fasin,” wanfala rul bilong peace wea winim tu rul bilong King Solomon. Abaotem datfala Kingdom rul, olketa bae sei, “Loving-kaeness and trufala fasin—olketa gardim king; and thru long loving-kaeness hem strongim throne bilong hem.” Datwan bae startim raeteous gavman bilong olowe for olketa man, wea Proverbs sei: “Taem wanfala king hem judgem olketa hambol wan long trufala fasin, throne bilong hem bae stap strong for olowe.” So, iumi tinghae witim hapi hao Proverbs no just showim laet for road wea lead go long savve, wisdom, and wei for minim samting, and tu laef olowe, bat winim datwan, hem mekhae long Jehovah olsem start bilong tru wisdom, wea hem givimaot thru long Christ Jesus, datfala Kingdom Seed. Proverbs helpem iumi for tinghae long Kingdom bilong God and olketa raeteous principle wea hem iusim for rul.—Prov. 25:5; 16:12; 20:28; 29:14.

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