Proverbs: Chapter 14

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.Salient points:Productive and counterproductive -- the wise constructs, the foolish destructs (v.1).Hard work leads to a profit (v.4). Here is the rendering in the Jerusalem Bible:  "No oxen, no cattle-feed; stout ox, rich crop." Here the JB, a sensitive and literary translation, captures the feel of the Semitic original.14:23 contains a similar thought.Each heart knows its own pains and joys. Be careful with feigning empathy or understanding.14:12 is a doublet with 16:25.Version: Today I read from the NIV and the JB.Challenge:Value hard work -- and hard workers.When we feel ourselves being dilatory or procrastinating, think of the person we deeply respect and let his or her example motivate us to follow through!As someone put it, "Be thankful if your job is a little harder than you like. A razor can’t be sharpened on a piece of velvet." And there's the old Arab adage, "Smooth seas do not make skilled sailors."Tomorrow: Proverbs 15 (NIV and The Message)