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Proverbs of a 40 yr old man
In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. The godly offer good counsel: they teach right from wrong. They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path. The LORD is disgusted by gifts from the wicked. The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives. The wicked try to trap and kill good people, But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial. Hope in LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the Earth; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it. I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil. But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them! Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked. The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!” We know we will die, but the dead don't know a thing. Nothing good will happen to them--they are gone and forgotten. Their loves, their hates, and their jealous feelings have all disappeared with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens on this earth. Amen. People perish with their evil ideas. It is what usually takes out the wicked, their own wicked heart and its ideas.
The heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man, and who can know him? The LORD searches all hearts and examine secret motives. He gives all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve. Study Proverbs 11:7