Lexicon :: Strong's H4912 - māšāl

“Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram (Syria),

from the mountains of the east, [saying,]

‘Come, curse [the descendants of] Jacob for me;

And come, [violently] denounce Israel.’

“Rise up, O Balak, and hear;

Listen [closely] to me, son of Zippor.

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened [at last, to see clearly the purpose and will of God],

He took up his [fourth] discourse (oracle) and said:

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

The oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

Balaam looked at Amalek and took up his [fifth] discourse (oracle) and said:

“Amalek was the first of the [neighboring] nations [to oppose the Israelites after they left Egypt],

But his end shall be [fn]destruction.”

Then he took up his [seventh] discourse (oracle) and said:

“Alas, who can live unless God has ordained it?

“Your memorable sayings are [worthless, merely] proverbs of ashes;

Your defenses are defenses of [crumbling] clay.

Job continued his discourse and said,

And Job again took up his discussion and said,

You make us a byword among the nations,

A [fn]laughingstock among the people.

I will incline my ear and consent to a proverb;

On the lyre I will unfold my riddle.

When I made sackcloth my clothing [as one in mourning],

I became a byword [a mere object of scorn] to them.

I will open my mouth in a parable [to instruct using examples];

I will utter dark and puzzling sayings of old [that contain important truth]—

The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation,

And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

These are also the proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

Like the legs which are useless to the lame,

So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who cannot learn from its wisdom].

Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man,

So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who remains unaffected by its wisdom].

Furthermore, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered and searched out and arranged many proverbs.

“How the oppressor has ceased [his insolence],

And how the fury has ceased!

‘[fn]The fathers eat sour grapes [they sin],

But the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

“Put on a pot; put it on and also pour water into it;

“On that day they shall take up a [taunting, deriding] parable against you

And wail with a doleful and bitter song of mourning and say,

‘We are completely destroyed!

God exchanges the inheritance of my people;

How He removes it from me!

He divides our fields to the rebellious [our captors].’

“Will all these [victims of his greed] not take up a taunting song against him,

And in mocking derision against him

Say, ‘[fn]Woe (judgment is coming) to him who increases that which is not his—

How long [will he possess it]?

And [woe to him who] makes himself wealthy with loans.’