“The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them. When the wicked die, their hopes die with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength. The godly are rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the wicked die. Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart. It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet. A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers. There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt; it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt. A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you. Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. Godly people find life; evil people find death. The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity. Evil people will surely be punished, but the children of the godly will go free. A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout. The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.”
Proverbs 11:1-23 NLT
It may appear that being godly isn’t as rewarding as one might think, yet there is a clear difference in the outcomes of the two. Whereas the godly outcome is slow and methodical and humble, the wicked outcome is that a quick reward that diminishes even quicker in its value. Just as a foolish women, with no discretion, can have beauty, it comes at a price. Solomon likens it to the pig attached to the gold ring. To receive that ring, you will have to butcher that pig. At best, it will be a bloody mess with potentially productive, but unintended consequences. It is doubtful that Tolkien had this verse I. Mind when he conceived of the one ring, but the example works. Instead, the ways of the godly are self spirating of such valuable things. They are built on the back of values based on God’s hood character. Things like honesty and integrity and patience are the utmost concern of the godly. Only things built in this way will yield a fruit that all will appreciate and rejoice over in the end.
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