Proverbs 20:11-15

Proverbs 20:11-15
English Standard Version
11 Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
    by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
    the LORD has made them both.
13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;
    open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
    but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones,
    but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

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When a person shows you who they are, believe them.  Even little children show you what is in their hearts by way of their actions.  If their heart is pure and upright, their actions will be righteous.  If their heart is not pure and upright, then their actions will be self-serving and wicked.

God is the one that made both the eye and the ear.  As such, He is greater than both and we should not expect that either the eye will see nor that the ear will hear or that the mind will be able to understand the glory of God.  His perception is greater than ours as He "sees" all and "hears" all and knows all.  Nothing escapes His observation.

Do not be slothful and a lover of sleep and rest.  Such people that spend their whole life being a couch potato will not earn their wages by working and will not have money for food (or put forth the effort to produce their own food, as many did back in that day).  Keep working while the daylight persists and rest when the sun goes down.  This is the reason that the LORD gave us the day/night cycle.

Do not be the kind of person that tried to pay people less than what their product is worth by claiming they are selling inferior or defective merchandise when there is nothing wrong with what they are selling.  Solomon is talking about the kind of person who rips someone off by not paying fair market value and then boasts to all his friends about how he got such a great deal (encouraging them to engage in the same kind of dishonest behavior).  No, just as the seller should be honest, so should the buyer.

Knowledge and wisdom and rarer and more precious than fine gold and gemstones.  Both gold and precious stones seem to be in abundance when compared to those who have words of wisdom to speak.  When you find a wise friend who can speak wisdom and truth into your life, value them above all earthly treasure, for they are a treasure from the LORD.