GOD'S COMMAND IS A LAMP

Passage: Proverbs 6:12-35

Key verse: 23

NIV

12 A troublemaker and a villain,
    who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13     who winks maliciously with his eye,(A)
    signals with his feet
    and motions with his fingers,(B)
14     who plots evil(C) with deceit in his heart—
    he always stirs up conflict.(D)
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;(E)
    he will suddenly(F) be destroyed—without remedy.(G)

16 There are six things the Lord hates,(H)
    seven that are detestable to him:
17         haughty eyes,(I)
        a lying tongue,(J)
        hands that shed innocent blood,(K)
18         a heart that devises wicked schemes,
        feet that are quick to rush into evil,(L)
19         a false witness(M) who pours out lies(N)
        and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.(O)

Warning Against Adultery

20 My son,(P) keep your father’s command
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(Q)
21 Bind them always on your heart;
    fasten them around your neck.(R)
22 When you walk, they will guide you;
    when you sleep, they will watch over you;
    when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 For this command is a lamp,
    this teaching is a light,(S)
and correction and instruction
    are the way to life,(T)
24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
    from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.(U)

25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
    or let her captivate you with her eyes.

26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
    but another man’s wife preys on your very life.(V)
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
    without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals
    without his feet being scorched?
29 So is he who sleeps(W) with another man’s wife;(X)
    no one who touches her will go unpunished.

30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
    to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,(Y)
    though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32 But a man who commits adultery(Z) has no sense;(AA)
    whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
    and his shame will never(AB) be wiped away.

34 For jealousy(AC) arouses a husband’s fury,(AD)
    and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation;
    he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.(AE)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

12 (A)A worthless person, a wicked man,
    goes about with (B)crooked speech,
13 (C)winks with his eyes, signals[a] with his feet,
    points with his finger,
14 with (D)perverted heart (E)devises evil,
    continually (F)sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
    (G)in a moment he will be broken (H)beyond healing.

16 There are (I)six things that the Lord hates,
    (J)seven that are an abomination to him:
17 (K)haughty eyes, (L)a lying tongue,
    and (M)hands that shed innocent blood,
18 (N)a heart that devises wicked plans,
    (O)feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 (P)a false witness who (Q)breathes out lies,
    and one who (R)sows discord among brothers.

Warnings Against Adultery

20 (S)My son, keep your father's commandment,
    (T)and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21 (U)Bind them on your heart always;
    (V)tie them around your neck.
22 (W)When you walk, they[b] will lead you;
    (X)when you lie down, they will (Y)watch over you;
    and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is (Z)a lamp and the teaching a light,
    and the (AA)reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,[c]
    from the smooth tongue of (AB)the adulteress.[d]
25 (AC)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
    and do not let her capture you with her (AD)eyelashes;
26 for (AE)the price of a prostitute is only (AF)a loaf of bread,[e]
    but a married woman[f] (AG)hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry (AH)fire next to his (AI)chest
    and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one (AJ)walk on hot coals
    and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife;
    none who touches her (AK)will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
    to (AL)satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31 but (AM)if he is caught, he will pay (AN)sevenfold;
    he will give all the goods of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
    he who does it destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor,
    and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For (AO)jealousy makes a man furious,
    and he will not spare when (AP)he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation;
    he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

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Footnotes
  1. Proverbs 6:13 Hebrew scrapes
  2. Proverbs 6:22 Hebrew it; three times in this verse
  3. Proverbs 6:24 Revocalization (compare Septuagint) yields from the wife of a neighbor
  4. Proverbs 6:24 Hebrew the foreign woman
  5. Proverbs 6:26 Or (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) for a prostitute leaves a man with nothing but a loaf of bread
  6. Proverbs 6:26 Hebrew a man's wife
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Seven things the Lord hates (12-19) Evil begins with a wicked heart. Unless we repent our corrupted heart, all our body parts will become weapons of evil that harm others and eventually ourselves. The Lord hates the evil heart that causes haughty eyes, a lying tongue, bloody hands, feet that rush into evil, a false witness, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. We must repent our evil heart and offer every part of ourselves as instruments of God: eyes to read the word of God, tongue to share God's grace, hands to serve the needy, feet to visit sick people and say peace to unite brothers. (Rom 6:13) 2. The commands of God will keep you from the immoral woman (2 -35) The wise repeatedly instruct us to keep the commands of God. It would guide us like a lamp and watch over us as light. It will correct us and discipline us from the immoral woman. To commit adultery is like scooping fire into his lap or walking on hot coals. A man who commits adultery will not go unpunished. He lacks judgment. Whoever commits adultery destroys himself.

Prayer: Lord, help me repent my evil heart and hate what you hate, especially adultery. Let me use my every part as an instrument of righteousness.

One Word: Your teachings are my light