1 The wise leader will teach his people; the government of the intelligent man will be well-ordered.
2 As the leader is, so will his ministers be; as the leader of the city is, so will be its inhabitants.
3 A king without wisdom will ruin his peo ple; a city will prosper through the wisdom of its rulers.
4 The government of the earth is in the hands of the Lord; in his own time he will raise up the right leader.
5 Human success is in the hands of the Lord and he clothes the rulers with his glory.
Pride
6 Do not store up resentment against your neighbor, no matter what his of fense; do nothing in a fit of anger.
7 Pride is odious to both God and man; in justice is abhorrent to both of them.
8 Sovereignty passes from one nation to another because of injustice, violence and wealth.
9 How can there be such pride in some one who is nothing but dust and ashes? Even while he is living, man’s bowels are full of rottenness.
10 Look: the illness lasts while the doctor makes light of it; and one who is king today will die tomorrow.
11 Once a man is dead, grubs, insects and worms are his lot.
12 The beginning of man’s pride is to separate himself from the Lord and to rebel against his Creator.
13 The beginning of pride is sin. Whoever per severes in sinning opens the floodgates to everything that is evil. For this the Lord has in flicted dire punishment on sinners; he has re duced them to nothing.
14 The Lord has overturned the thrones of princes and set up the meek in their place.
15 The Lord has torn up the proud by the roots and has planted the humble in their place.
16 The Lord has overturned the land of the pagans and totally destroyed them.
17 He has devastated several of them, destroyed them and removed all remembrance of them from the face of the earth.
18 Pride was not created for man nor violent anger, for those born of woman.
19 Which race is worthy of honor? The human race.
Which race is worthy of honor? Those who fear the Lord.
Which race is despicable? The human race.
Which race is despicable? Those who break the commandments.
20 The leader is worthy of respect in the midst of his brethren, but he has respect for those who fear the Lord. 22 Whether they be rich, honored or poor, their pride should be in fearing the Lord.
23 It is not right to despise the poor man who keeps the law; it is not fitting to honor the sinful man.
24 The leader, the judge, and the powerful man are worthy of honor, but no one is greater than the man who fears the Lord.
25 A prudent slave will have free men as servants, and the sensible man will not complain.
26 Do not feel proud when you have only accomplished your work; do not put on airs when times are difficult for you.
27 Of greater worth is the man who works and lives in abundance than the one who shows off and yet has nothing to live on.
28 My son, have a modest appreciation of yourself, estimate yourself at your true value.
29 Who will defend the man who makes an attempt on his own life? Who will respect the man who despises himself?
30 The poor man will be honored for his wis dom and the rich man, for his riches.
31 Honored when poor – how much more honored when rich!
Dishonored when rich – how much more dis honored when poor!
- Letter to the Romans 13,1
- Leviticus 19,18
- Deuteronomy 8,14
- Luke 1,52
- Daniel 2,35
- Wisdom 11,21
- Luke 17,10
- 1 Letter to the Corinthians 1,31
