1Don’t be envious of evil men,
neither desire to be with them;
2for their hearts plot violence
and their lips talk about mischief.
3Through wisdom a house is built;
by understanding it is established;
4by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all rare and beautiful treasure.
5A wise man has great power.
A knowledgeable man increases strength,
6for by wise guidance you wage your war,
and victory is in many advisors.
7Wisdom is too high for a fool.
He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
8One who plots to do evil
will be called a schemer.
9The schemes of folly are sin.
The mocker is detested by men.
10If you falter in the time of trouble,
your strength is small.
11Rescue those who are being led away to death!
Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
12If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,”
doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it?
Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
13My son, eat honey, for it is good,
the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;
14so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul.
If you have found it, then there will be a reward:
Your hope will not be cut off.
15Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous.
Don’t destroy his resting place;
16for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again,
but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls.
Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
18lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him,
and he turn away his wrath from him.
19Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers,
neither be envious of the wicked;
20for there will be no reward to the evil man.
The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21My son, fear Yahweh and the king.
Don’t join those who are rebellious,
22for their calamity will rise suddenly.
Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
23These also are sayings of the wise:
To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—
25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and a rich blessing will come on them.
26An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
27Prepare your work outside,
and get your fields ready.
Afterwards, build your house.
28Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause.
Don’t deceive with your lips.
29Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will repay the man according to his work.”
30I went by the field of the sluggard,
by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
31Behold, it was all grown over with thorns.
Its surface was covered with nettles,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32Then I saw, and considered well.
I saw, and received instruction:
33a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep,
34so your poverty will come as a robber
and your want as an armed man.
There is a great biblical truth that all should learn at an early age. My mother taught it to me when I was very young. She would tell me, “Vengeance is mine. I will repay, sayeth the Lord.” (Romans 12:19 KJV) The sooner a disciple of Jesus learns that truth, the better. Otherwise, you’ll go through life trying to even the score when you’re done wrong by others. That is a hopeless cycle of frustration. God is the scorekeeper, and He can keep score better than you and I can. In chapter 16, we are witnessing the end of it all. We are seeing God’s vengeance being poured out on the wicked. It can become tedious to read the Book of Revelation because much of what we read is God pouring out His vengeance on the wicked for their persecution of the saints. As mentioned before, I believe Scripture supports the idea that the believer will not even be here. Hence, as we read this, it is sort of like watching a movie of what is to come. We are mere observers, and not participants. This is the payback God promised. We don’t need to prosecute our rights. In the end, God will take care of all of that.
I might add that when we occasionally see it happen while we’re alive, we should never take joy in it or celebrate it. For likewise scripture tells us, “17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked: 20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. (Proverbs 24 KJV) Mind your own business and let God mind others. He will do a far better job of evening out the score than we could ever do. What we read about here sounds something like a super solar flare. Scientists estimate that a super solar flare occurs about every 250-500 years. The sun throws off a flare 150 times more powerful than usual. This hasn’t happened in modern times, but when it does, it will take out all the electronics on the earth. The ancients described such events as “fire and brimstone” coming down. I don’t know what this is, but it scorches men with fire. It could be falling fiery hailstones or meteorites. Whatever it is, it will bring great pain to humanity. And even given such an event, mankind will STILL refuse to repent and give glory to the God who created all.
We read some really horrible things in this chapter. But we must remember that God is a loving God, but He is a just God. He will avenge the martyred deaths of His saints. All people are given a chance to live in this peaceful unity, but mankind is not free to persecute the saints of God without retribution. I know these are strange verses to read. When we read them, just remember that God doesn’t forget His own and will not suffer the righteous to be moved. God covers His anointed. And you and I are His anointed. Those whose lives will end in bitterness suffer not just because they have rejected God, but because of what they have done to the saints of God, and they suffer because that is the path they have chosen. God is not willing or desirous that any should perish, but that all live for eternity in peace with Him under His protection.