BE KIND AND GIVE

Passage: Proverbs 11:16-31

Key verse: 18

NIV

16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,(A)
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

17 Those who are kind benefit themselves,
    but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
    but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.(B)

19 Truly the righteous attain life,(C)
    but whoever pursues evil finds death.(D)

20 The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,(E)
    but he delights(F) in those whose ways are blameless.(G)

21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
    but those who are righteous will go free.(H)

22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
    is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
    but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
    another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

25 A generous(I) person will prosper;
    whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.(J)

26 People curse the one who hoards grain,
    but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,
    but evil comes to one who searches for it.(K)

28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,(L)
    but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.(M)

29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise.(N)

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,(O)
    and the one who is wise saves lives.

31 If the righteous receive their due(P) on earth,
    how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

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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

16 (A)A gracious woman gets honor,
    and (B)violent men get riches.
17 (C)A man who is kind benefits himself,
    but a cruel man hurts himself.
18 The wicked earns deceptive wages,
    but one who (D)sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
19 Whoever is steadfast in righteousness (E)will live,
    but (F)he who pursues evil will die.
20 Those of (G)crooked heart are (H)an abomination to the Lord,
    but those of (I)blameless ways are (J)his delight.
21 (K)Be assured, (L)an evil person will not go unpunished,
    but (M)the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
22 Like (N)a gold ring in a pig's snout
    is a beautiful woman without discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
    (O)the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
24 (P)One gives (Q)freely, yet grows all the richer;
    another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 (R)Whoever brings blessing (S)will be enriched,
    and (T)one who waters will himself be watered.
26 (U)The people curse him who holds back grain,
    but (V)a blessing is on the head of him who (W)sells it.
27 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,[a]
    but evil comes to (X)him who searches for it.
28 Whoever (Y)trusts in his riches will fall,
    but the righteous will (Z)flourish like a green leaf.
29 Whoever (AA)troubles his own household will (AB)inherit the wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of the righteous is (AC)a tree of life,
    and whoever (AD)captures souls is wise.
31 If (AE)the righteous is repaid on earth,
    how much more the wicked and the sinner!

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Footnotes
  1. Proverbs 11:27 Or acceptance
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. The kind heart (16-23) The kindhearted woman gains honor and benefits herself. But a beautiful woman with no discretion is like a pig with a gold ring in its nose. The ruthless man is cruel and he brings ruin on himself. The wise man sows kindness and he reaps a sure reward, life. The wicked man pursues unrighteousness and finds death. The Good Samaritan was kind even to a stranger (Lk 1 :3 -37). The high priest and the Levi were unkind to the needy. Our Lord Jesus was a gentle and kindhearted shepherd. The Lord detests the unkind but he delights in the righteous whose heart is kind. 2. Give freely to win souls (24-31) Christianity begins with God who gave his one and only son as a sacrificial Lamb. When we freely give the word of God, love and any material, we will gain even more. The wise refresh others and God refreshes them. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He wins souls. But the wicked withholds unduly, hoards grain but comes to poverty. He will be the servant of the wise.

Prayer: Lord, you reward each according to what he sows. Let me be kind and give like my Lord and bear the fruit of life.

One Word: Be kind, give and win souls