How hard it is to find a capable wife! She is worth far more than jewels! Her husband puts his confidence in her, and he will never be poor. As long as she lives, she does him good and never harm. She keeps herself busy making wool and linen cloth. She brings home food from out-of-the-way places, as merchant ships do. She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and to tell her servant women what to do. She looks at land and buys it, and with money she has earned she plants a vineyard. She is a hard worker, strong and industrious. She knows the value of everything she makes, and works late into the night. She spins her own thread and weaves her own cloth. She is generous to the poor and needy. She doesn’t worry when it snows, because her family has warm clothing. She makes bedspreads and wears clothes of fine purple linen. Her husband is well known, one of the leading citizens. She makes clothes and belts, and sells them to merchants. She is strong and respected and not afraid of the future. She speaks with a gentle wisdom. She is always busy and looks after her family’s needs. Her children show their appreciation, and her husband praises her. He says, “Many women are good wives, but you are the best of them all.”
“There was once a man who had two sons. The younger one said to
him, ‘Father, give me my share of the property now.’ So the
man divided his property between his two sons. After a few days the
younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money.
He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living.
He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country,
and he was left without a thing. So he went to work for one of the citizens
of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs.
He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but
no one gave him anything to eat. At last he came to his senses and said, ‘All
my father’s hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I
am about to starve! I will get up and go to my father and say, Father,
I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be
called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers.’ So he
got up and started back to his father.
“
He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was
filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms round his son, and kissed
him. ‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I have sinned against
God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’ But
the father called his servants. ‘Hurry!’ he said. ‘Bring
the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on
his feet. Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate
with a feast! For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he
was lost, but now he has been found.’ And so the feasting began.
For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.
Poor people are slaves of the rich. Borrow money and you are the lender’s slave.
Don’t promise to be responsible for someone else’s debts. If you should be unable to pay, they will take away even your bed.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Don’t build your house and establish a home until your fields are ready, and you are sure that you can earn a living.
I walked through the fields and vineyards of a lazy, stupid person. They were full of thorn bushes and overgrown with weeds. The stone wall round them had fallen down. I looked at this, thought about it, and learned a lesson from it: have a nap and sleep if you want to. Fold your hands and rest awhile, but while you are asleep, poverty will attack you like an armed robber.