Chapter 13
Words, Work, and Wise Companions
A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. There…
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Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction."
Context: Speech and survival linked
Restraint protects more than reputation.
In Today's Words:
Solomon says whoever keeps his mouth keeps his life while opening wide lips brings destruction and regret. Many crises begin as words that should have stayed unspoken until calm and clarity returned. Pause before the next reactive message and ask whether it protects life or invites fallout you will regret.
"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom."
Context: Source of unnecessary conflict
Pride manufactures fights.
In Today's Words:
Solomon says only by pride comes contention while the well advised find wisdom and peace instead. Many arguments are ego contests disguised as principles, policy, or righteous indignation. In the next dispute, ask what you would concede if winning were not the goal or the point.
"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life."
Context: Cost of delayed fulfillment
Unmet hope erodes morale.
In Today's Words:
Solomon says hope deferred makes the heart sick while fulfilled desire is a tree of life to the soul. Endless waiting without progress breeds cynicism, quit, and bitterness toward the goal itself. Break one long goal into a milestone you can reach this month to restore momentum and hope.
"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
Context: Companion influence
Company shapes character.
In Today's Words:
Solomon says walking with wise men makes you wise while companions of fools are destroyed together. You absorb habits from whoever gets your unstructured time, jokes, and late-night conversations. Add one hour weekly with someone whose judgment you want to emulate in work or life.
Thematic Threads
Personal Agency
In This Chapter
Solomon emphasizes that individuals control their destiny through daily choices in speech, work, and relationships
Development
Building on earlier chapters about wisdom and folly, now focusing on specific behavioral levers
In Your Life:
You might notice how your daily habits either move you toward or away from your goals
Social Influence
In This Chapter
The warning that companions of fools will be destroyed while those who walk with wise people become wise
Development
Expanding the theme of choosing wise counsel into the realm of peer influence
In Your Life:
You might recognize how certain friends either inspire you to grow or enable your worst habits
Work Ethic
In This Chapter
Contrasting the diligent who build wealth with the lazy who remain poor despite their desires
Development
Introduced here as a major theme about the relationship between effort and outcomes
In Your Life:
You might see this in how consistent small efforts compound while sporadic big efforts fade
Communication Power
In This Chapter
Words as forces that either bring good or invite destruction into your life
Development
Deepening earlier themes about wise speech by showing its practical consequences
In Your Life:
You might notice how complaining versus problem-solving language affects how others respond to you
Delayed Gratification
In This Chapter
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but fulfilled desires are like trees of life
Development
Introduced here as the emotional cost and reward of pursuing long-term goals
In Your Life:
You might recognize the frustration of working toward goals that seem to take forever to achieve
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
How does keeping the mouth keep life in practical terms?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
Restraint prevents promises, gossip, and conflicts that create consequences you cannot unsay or easily repair.
- 2
Why does only pride cometh contention?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
Pride demands winning; humility can concede, listen, and end fights before they become identity and habit.
- 3
What does hope deferred maketh the heart sick teach about timing?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Long-delayed goals erode morale; celebrate progress or adjust expectations before cynicism sets in and quits.
- 4
How does walking with wise men make you wise?
application • deepOne way to read it
Proximity shapes norms; you absorb patterns, language, and priorities from whoever gets your unstructured time.
- 5
Which companion or channel is making you more foolish?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
Name one relationship or feed to reduce and one wise voice to increase for the next month.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Audit Your Three Forces
Make three columns: Words, Work, and Circle. Under Words, list the phrases you use most often when talking about your life or future. Under Work, honestly assess your daily habits and effort level. Under Circle, name the five people you spend the most time with and note whether they inspire growth or enable excuses. Look for patterns across all three columns.
Consider:
- •Be brutally honest - this exercise only works if you face reality
- •Notice how the three forces might be reinforcing each other positively or negatively
- •Identify which force would be easiest to change first as a starting point
Journaling Prompt
Write about one specific change you could make in each category that would create a positive ripple effect in your life. Start with the smallest, most doable change and explain how it might influence the other two forces.
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 14: Building Wisely vs. Tearing Down
The next chapter shifts focus to the power of women in building or destroying households, revealing how wisdom and foolishness play out differently in domestic life and family dynamics.
